Dust and Shadows
by Pyreflies Painter
Summary: "He's like the Jack the Ripper of the Shadow World" Isabelle said as Clary stared at the black and white drawing of burning carriages. "He killed the London Institute's Shadowhunters during the late 1800s, I think, and left no traces"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thanks for clicking to read this story and I will do my best to make it good! So I decided to write my first crossover (a bit too early for me I think) because my school break is almost over and I'm worried I won't be able to update for a long time. This is why I wanted to get it out there already and try to do the best I can in the short amount of time I have. My goal is maybe three chapters to five posted already. I hope that you'll review this because I'm paranoid when it comes to writing, so please ease my fears! Thank you! **

**With that out of the way I shall now present to you my story.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare and I even if I wish really hard, it won't happen. **

-Chapter one-

William Herondale thrust the blade into the heart of the demon- if they even had one -and he was rewarded with a satisfying sound of tearing and the fillings of the dummy to spill. He jumped back and waited. He heard a lock click into place beside him and he threw the seraph blade he was holding. The dagger embedded itself into the dummy swinging towards him and Will watched as its filling spilled onto the floor like blood. He was in the training room, passing time before he had dinner and to avoid the outside world. He didn't want to talk to anyone and he especially didn't want to talk to Tessa.

_Tessa_.

A click came and he could only be happy to throw another dagger to its direction to forget_ her_. He heard two locks this time and he looked up to see two dummies coming at him from his sides. He looked down at himself and saw that he only had two seraph blades left. He took them both and ducked down. The dummies hit each other as he whispered into the blades and then, with a flare of heavenly white light, he sliced through them in a fraction of a second. He straightened and looked down at the floor. That was his mistake as his memories rushed into him and he remembered the last time they talked.

Tessa had left, obviously insulted, and Will was glad to see her leave for, after all, it was for her own good.

However, it had hurt him in a way he didn't expect and he couldn't bear the silence she gave him after. Will could feel the walls of his resolve weakening and he found out that the more he tried to rebuild it, the more it would weaken and the less it would keep everyone around him safe from himself.

Another click and Will sighed as he threw the seraph blade- without looking up -and heard that familiar tearing sound again, but he could hear another tearing with it.

The tearing of his heart.

Will smiled at himself at how pathetic he had become. He was turning into one of those men in Tessa's favourite book, _A Tale of Two Cities_. Will strapped the last dagger into his gear as he thought about it. _I wonder if I will I get my head chopped off anytime soon?_ He went around the large stone room that was bare of anything- even windows -other than Henry's contraptions for their training. Will picked up the seraph blades and strapped them on as he made his way to the door. As he opened the door, he heard Charlotte's raised voice.

"Will," he saw her almost child-like figure approach him and saw the urgency in her brown eyes, "there's demons causing havoc at Whitechapel Street" she was already in her gear.

Will's eyes widened and he closed the door behind him. "I'll get the carriage ready" Charlotte nodded.

"Thank you. I'll go get Sophie and Tessa" Will froze at her name and called back Charlotte before she could go.

"What?" he yelled at her and Charlotte was startled by his reaction. "Are you seriously taking them _demon_ hunting with-"

"I'm going to drop them off somewhere safe, probably at the Lightwoods" Charlotte cut him off and Will almost growled at the name _Lightwood_. "There is a high possibility the Magister is behind this and I don't want them alone here again. You know what happened last time Will" the boy considered Charlotte's words with clenched his fists but nevertheless agreed. Charlotte saw him nod and told him that another carriage was already waiting outside then ran off to get Tessa and Sophie while Will ran to get the other carriage.

He had prepared the carriages outside when Jem had appeared on the Institute's steps. He looked healthier than usual, a red colour staining his cheeks, but Will knew that was because he took the medicine- the medicine that slowly killed him -in huge amounts so he can fight. Will hated it when Jem had to fight, but it was his _parabatai_'s wish and he respected Jem enough to allow him to do what he desired. "Ready?" he asked him and Jem smiled at him. He said something in his native tongue and Will cocked an eyebrow.

Jem chuckled as he went over to Will. "I was saying that we are always ready" Will smiled and he saw the doors open and Henry and Jessamine appeared. Henry was in his gear while Jessamine, as is Jessamine, was wearing a dress. The boy always insulted the girl for her lack of commitment to being a Shadowhunter and _that_ he didn't just do to keep people away from him.

"Why Jessie, whatever are you wearing?" Will asked in an incredulous voice and she ignored him and climbed into the carriage that he wasn't leaning on. Will smirked and looked at Henry. "Henry, I need you to create more dummies for me after this. I do believe I have obliterated the lot of them" Henry grinned at him and climbed into the driver's seat of the carriage Jessamine was in. Will noticed that everyone was choosing the other carriage and frowned. "Why is everyone going there? Are you all avoiding me?" he looked at Jem. "Tell me the truth James"

Jem laughed despite the situation. "If you keep treating everyone like so, everyone _will_ avoid you" Will decided to play along when he saw the doors open again and Charlotte, Sophie and Tessa appeared. Will could feel his heart start to beat erratically at the sight of her and he thought of something to say to keep him distracted.

"Charlotte! I have fixed the carriages for you. Do you think I have done a good job?" Charlotte looked at him with raised eyebrows and a shocked expression and Will smiled like a proud child at the same time ignoring Tessa who was looking at the ground.

"Uh….." Charlotte thought out her answer to Will's unusual question, "yes you have" she said in an uncertain voice and Will frowned again. Charlotte cleared her throat. "Alright, let's go before anyone could get hurt" she ran towards the carriage Jessamine and Henry has picked and got on. Will turned to Jem and gave him an irritated look which Jem shrugged off. Will climbed onto the driver's seat as Sophie and Tessa got into the carriage but he didn't miss out on the fact that Jem helped them up and Will's eyes narrowed as his friend's hand made contact with Tessa's. He saw her give Jem a smile and Will whipped his head around in silent fury.

A few days ago, Jem had kissed Tessa's hand on the Institute's steps and Will just looked at them as they bid goodbye to each other. It had hurt him and for that moment he was secretly angry with Jem. He's secretly angry with him now too. Jem climbed onto the driver's seat and Will looked at him as if he was sprouting horns on his head. "What are you doing up here?" he asked in an incredulous tone.

Jem placed his cane between his legs as he smiled at him. "You didn't actually think I was going to stay in the carriage did you? I prefer it up here" Will rolled his eyes and gathered the reins. He commanded the horses forward and the carriage rolled to their first destination.

Tessa waited patiently inside the carriage as they rode to the Lightwoods' estate in London on the way to Whitechapel Street. Charlotte had told her they were to be kept there just in case Mortmain had planned the demon attack and he'd appear at the Institute again. Tessa could only be happy to go, but what unnerved her was Will's presence even if it was only for a short time. She had studiously ignored him everyday since that night in the attic and his mere presence at the table made her uncomfortable. Now he was with her again and she tried to keep herself in composure. She didn't want him to see how he'd affected her. Tessa sighed to herself as she looked at her clasped hands shaking in the cold and her situation. _Stop it _she commanded herself and she soon calmed down. She looked up to see Sophie across from her, her head bowed, and Tessa could see her red eyes despite the dark. The servant girl had gone through a lot and Tessa wished she could do something to ease the other girl's pain.

But she didn't know how to and Tessa looked out the carriage window in despair. She had only taken from these people and to make matters worse, she had caused them to lose two companions. She was a burden. She sighed internally as she looked at the Thames outside. She stared at its murky depths and at the moonlight that glinted of its surface, turning the water into silver. They passed many houses as the carriage rattled on the cobblestone road and she saw some beggars but she also noticed the ones that were part of the world she found herself tangled in. She could tell that they were vampires by the way they walk and she could notice their twisted faces and their mischievous smiles, showing off their fangs that glinted in the moonlight. Tessa was glad when they had finally passed the Downworlders and she was now staring at the full moon.

Suddenly, a blinding white light appeared from nowhere and the carriage stopped. Tessa would have been thrown forward had she not grasped at her seat at the last second to stop her body from falling off her seat. Her body snapped back up and she gasped as her breath got knocked out of her. "What?" Sophie had looked up, startled, and her face was creased in worry as she clutched at the seat to steady herself. Tessa could hear the horses making panicked noises outside and she could hear Will, Jem and Henry exclaim over them. She then heard a thud on the roof and heard Jem shout at Will. Tessa looked at Sophie and she screamed at what was behind Tessa. The girl's head snapped toward the direction and saw the back part of the carriage on fire. "Miss Grey!" Sophie exclaimed and Tessa moved to her side of the carriage at the same time that the carriage door opened. Jem stood at the entrance, his cane in his hand and his silver eyes bright. Beyond him, Tessa could make out small ropes of fire surrounding the carriage.

"Get off!" he told them and Tessa jumped out of the carriage followed soon after by Sophie. Jem took them to a safe distance away and Tessa looked back at the carriage to see Will on the roof and flames were around him. From where Tessa was standing, he looked like an angel in the middle of the burning hell. He seemed to be looking for something in the distance when Jem shouted at him to get off. Will jumped off the carriage and landed silently and when he straightened, Tessa could see the fury in his blue eyes despite the distance between them. "Henry!" Tessa looked at Jem who had left them and was now helping Henry, who got tangled by the reins, out of the seat while Jessamine and Charlotte climbed out. Jessamine was gasping and there was a part of her dress that was burnt and Charlotte was staring.

"What in the name of the Angel is happening?" Charlotte asked as she saw the two carriages on fire. She looked at Henry, Jem and Will as they made their way towards them, "I saw a bright light then all of a sudden everyone was screaming" she looked at Will. "What happened?"

"Exactly like you said then I saw a rope of fire get thrown towards us. It bounced into the carriage roof then it was in flames in an instant" he said in an impatient tone and they all watched as the carriages burned.

"Could this be Mortmain?" Tessa found herself ask and they all looked at her in what seemed like silent agreement.

Everyone except Jessamine who stared open-mouthed at her dress "Who _cares_?" she screamed as she looked up at Tessa. "The carriages are on fire and we still need to get to the Lightwoods and look!" she pointed to the blackened part of her dress. "My dress is a disgrace and I am a lady and I will not walk around in the night like this!"

Tessa could feel her fists clench. She's had enough of Jessamine. "We were almost burnt down into nothing but ashes and all you care about is your stupid dress? Have you any-" Tessa's words were cut off when she felt a sudden sharp pain at her chest. Charlotte looked at her and gasped. Everyone else did too and they stared. Tessa looked down and saw a hilt of a knife protruding through her chest, her blood soaking her dress. She looked up to see everyone still stare at her as if they were too numb to do anything else. Tessa didn't see it coming and now she could taste her blood in her mouth and she looked beyond the Shadowhunters and Sophie to see a dark figure on top of the burning carriages.

There was someone there who was crouching and he raised his head and Tessa realized that it wasn't a man after all, but a woman. She had white-gold hair and as she looked at Tessa, and Tessa looked back, she saw a pair of bicoloured eyes. One gold and one pitch-black. The woman smiled at her maliciously and Tessa could hear her slowing heartbeats as the woman hopped off the carriage and as everyone went to her.

She could hear them screaming her name as she fell into Will's arms. She could see them look around for who had thrown the dagger and she could see Will, his beautiful blue eyes blank and staring, his face void of any emotion as he held her.

Tessa could hear them faintly over the thud of her pulse in her ears and she could feel the pain start to lose its grip on her, but a new one clung to her even more tightly. It was the grip of death. Despite this, she heard Charlotte scream once more and Jem shout something. She saw things glint through her blurred vision and dark figures approached the Shadowhunters. She could see them start to fight, brandishing their blades in rage at a lost companion. Will had long moved away from her and fought too and she looked at him as he fought the dark hooded figures before she heard one final beat and her eyes closed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for not being able to upload quicker. I've been having writer's block. Well, here it is and I hope you like it and I would just like to thank those who have reviewed my story. You have eased my fears and I am grateful. I also checked my mail and I would like to also say thank you to those who put my story in their favourites. So thankful and it makes me feel more eager to tell you this story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cassandra Clare's work and her magical powers of being a good writer.**

* * *

-Chapter two-

Clary took another tentative step as she tried with all her might to take the heavy box up the stairs. She felt her foot slip through empty space and caught herself before she stumbled and let the contents of the heavy box spill and possibly hurt herself. "Are you alright?" she looked up and saw Isabelle in front of her and felt a sharp pang of jealousy. While she struggled with the box, Isabelle didn't even break a sweat.

"I'm fine" she replied as she grasped the box tighter and told herself to take another step. And another. And another. For some reason, Clary felt that the stairs were getting longer the more she tried. As if they mentally and physically pushed her to her limits.

Or maybe they were just the effects of her Shadowhunter training. To be constantly pushed to her limits.

At last, she made it to the landing and happily dropped the heavy box to the floor as Isabelle reached the trapdoor to the attic separate to the one they used as a training room and opened it. A ladder came sliding down and the girl narrowly dodged it. "Whoa! Who knew ladders could be so lethal?" she said to no one in particular as she gaped at the ladder with wide blue eyes.

"Great" Clary said as she threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. "First a box that almost killed me and now a ladder that is lethal. What next?"

"You're complaining" Isabelle smiled at her and took the box off the floor. She then started to climb the ladder with ease, despite the box. She finally made it to the attic and Clary groaned. Isabelle's head popped out of the attic "You need to get some muscles in those skinny arms of yours Shadowhunter" Clary glared at her as she disappeared back into the attic.

With a deep breath, she picked up the box off the floor and started climbing the ladder. She was halfway there when she almost fell and Isabelle told her to give her the box. Clary happily gave her the box and climbed the rest of the way up. When she got there, Isabelle closed the trapdoor and she glared at the boxes.

"Why do they need to be kept here anyway? Is the attic at the London Institute packed or what?"

"I don't know" Isabelle shrugged then straightened and placed her hands on her hips. "But I'm sure ours is almost full" Clary stood up and agreed with her. She saw that the attic had boxes of all sizes scattered everywhere in no particular order as it was being illuminated by the dimming afternoon light. Isabelle placed the box on top of another and smiled "Mission completed" she seemed to be proud of doing such a small task that she didn't have any problems with.

Isabelle's mother, Maryse Lightwood, had asked Clary and Isabelle to put away the boxes from the London Institute in the attic and they also did it to pass the time while waiting for Jace and Alec to come back with their takeout from Taki's. Clary picked up the box again and placed it on top of another box and looked at the attic. "I know Shadowhunters haven't heard of a lot of things, but this is ridiculous" Clary gestured to the mess in the attic and the layers of dust over the boxes. "Have you guys never heard of spring clean?"

"Or maybe we were fighting demons for the most of our time so we didn't have spare time for cleaning up" Isabelle defended and Clary looked back at the attic. At the very end of the room, she saw a pile of boxes that were also covered in some cobwebs and had at least a century of dust piling on it. She walked toward it in curiosity, dodging boxes along the way so she won't trip over them, and Isabelle followed after her.

They reached the end of the attic and Clary saw a small wooden box among the others and sat cross-legged on the floor next to it. It had a layer of dust up to at least a centimetre thick. "Ew" Isabelle said as she sat down on the other side of the box. Clary picked up the box- it was light and she was thankful for it –and dusted away the dust, some of it falling to the floor in huge clumps of grey and some were in the air, being illuminated by the light as they danced. Clary took off the lid and they both peered inside in curiosity.

The box's contents were really old in appearance. Leather notebooks and brown papers scribbled with words in fancy script. "Cool!" Isabelle said as she rummaged around the box and picked up a photo. "Look!" Isabelle showed to Clary the monochrome photo and it was a man in a Victorian suit with tangled black hair and an amused smirk on his face that oddly reminded her of Jace. "They must be from the 1800s or something like that" Isabelle looked at the photo again. "Men were really handsome back then"

Clary raised an eyebrow "You're dating Simon" Isabelle smiled and put the photo back in the box, embarrassment evident on her face. Clary looked through the box and picked up a drawing of two burning carriages, flames licking up the sides and eating at its wheels. "Look at this" she showed the picture to Isabelle and her face creased in thought.

"That reminds me of a story mom told me" Isabelle's eyes went unfocused as Clary looked at the drawing. It was beautiful and detailed but with it held a destructive meaning. "I think it was the one about the man that got away from the Clave's hands" Clary looked up at Isabelle. "She told me he was a murderer"

"A murderer?" the very word reminded Clary of what had happened to her two months ago and of her father, Valentine.

"He's like the Jack the Ripper of the Shadow World" Isabelle said as Clary looked at the black and white drawing of the burning carriages. "He's killed the Shadowhunters from the London Institute during the 1800s, I think, and left no traces" Isabelle looked at Clary in realization. "And this box must be from the 1800s! That must mean that these were sent here after the Shadowhunters were killed!" the girl exclaimed.

Clary thought about it and agreed, but a different idea pulled at her mind. "Was the murderer also a Shadowhunter?" she asked as she put away the drawing. Clary felt…..cold. On exactly why, she didn't know. Perhaps it was the story and it made her feel scared. After all, Jack the Ripper wasn't a bedtime fairy tale and this is no different.

Clary suddenly smiled inside. After meeting the faerie queen, maybe faerie tales aren't different either. She looked back at Isabelle who had answered her. "Nobody knows," she shrugged, "all they knew was that they found the horses of the carriages at my ancestors house in London- the Shadowhunters that died were supposed to arrive there -and when they traced everything back, they just found the fire and immediately called for the Enclave which is the Clave at England" Isabelle laughed. "If they think putting the En of England in front of Clave is funny, they're lamer than they think" Clary laughed along with her, willing to forget the story that had troubled her so much. She looked through the box again and picked up a leather bound notebook and flicked through it. Inside there were many sketches of inventions and she stopped at the last entry. June 1878. She held the book out to show it to Isabelle and-

A flash of lightning came from nowhere and they both gasped as rain started to pour heavily and the lightning continued to zap from the heavens as if Zeus had decided to make New York City a target practice. "Oh no!" Isabelle said as she straightened. "I hope Jace and Alec get back soon" Clary agreed with her as she closed the box. "Come on" Isabelle made her way towards the trapdoor while Clary picked up the box and followed after her. She didn't know why she brought it with her. She just wanted to.

Isabelle jumped through the trapdoor and landed silently like a cat. Clary tucked the box in her arm used the ladder. She felt pathetic and turned with a blush on her cheeks. Isabelle sighed.

Clary frowned at her as they started making their way down the stairs. Suddenly, they heard the doors of the Institute open and Isabelle flew down the stairs. "Finally!" she said while Clary ran to her bedroom and put the box under her bed.

As soon she closed the door, she felt someone grab her waist and kiss her cheek. "Hello Clary" she turned around to see a half-drenched Jace and smiled.

"You're wet" she said as she hugged him and felt the water soak through her cardigan. Jace pulled away and put on an amused smirk. Clary suddenly remembered the photograph again and smiled at the similarities. I wonder who that man is she thought to herself.

"So are you" Jace's voice brought her back down to reality and she looked down at herself to see her brown cardigan wet. She gave him a mock-stern look and he smiled wider. "How was your afternoon while I was away with Alec, carrying out our diabolical plans and ordering greasy fastfood?" he asked her as he pulled her toward the kitchen, holding her hand.

"Tiring" she frowned on the incident with the box again. "I had to move a heavy box to the attic," Clary knew she sounded childish but she ignored it, "but other than that it's alright and I have my doubts about you and Alec forming a plan. That's more like your thing"

Jace's face grew serious. "Don't let Alec fool you Clary. The man dates a warlock and warlocks are sneaky especially Magnus Bane" Clary shook her head with a secret smile on her face as they descended down the stairs and continued their casual conversation.

Clary was truly happy that things were better now. Valentine's gone, the Accords were saved, her mother and Luke are spending time together in Spain for a holiday meanwhile doing work for the Clave, everybody is happy and she and Jace can be together and nothing could stop them. Everything was peaceful.

They finally made it to the kitchen and Isabelle was already setting out the dinner when Maryse and Robert burst in the room, all clad in black and it only meant one thing.

Demons.

Maybe everything wasn't so peaceful.

Clary knew she couldn't come since she wasn't as experienced yet. She was also sure that even if she tried to go, Jace would tie her down. She turned to him and saw his golden eyes bright with excitement. It's not that she wanted to go and fight. She wanted to make sure that Jace was safe. After what happened at Lake Lyn, she just couldn't stand leaving him alone now.

"Alright!" Isabelle said and dashed to her room, leaving the dinner behind. Maryse and Robert made their way towards the entrance and Jace turned to her.

"Can I trust you to stay here and take care of yourself?" he asked her and she rolled her eyes.

"That's my question except that it's while your killing a massive horde of demons" she smiled the smallest of smiles at him and Jace's face softened and, before she knew it, they were kissing. Clary forgot everything for that few seconds. It always seemed like that when she was with him. Like they were the only ones on earth.

He pulled away and smiled down at her. "Do you doubt my me?" she smiled and shook her head. He laughed and ruffled her hair before running to his room and the sight of him disappearing around the corner frightened the girl.

Clary plopped down on her bed. The others had gone and she was left alone in the Institute all by herself while the rain made a steady petter of rain outside. The Shadowhunter looked up at the ceiling of her bedroom as she thought of what to do and after much thinking, she'd decided to draw.

She lay down on her stomach as she drew, letting her mind make the lines flow out but she wasn't getting enough inspiration and tore the paper off and threw it behind her. Clary closed her eyes as she thought of what to draw. She searched and searched it until she started hearing a soft sound. It was beautiful and then, pictures unfolded behind her eyes.

Clary saw dresses swirling under a grand chandelier in a spectacular ballroom. She saw men dressed up in velvet suits and women in ball gowns made from a variety of fabrics. Finally, Clary saw them dancing to the music and her eyes opened as she remembered the box under her bed. She moved towards the end and reached for the box and soon her fingers brushed against a smooth surface. She grabbed the edge of the box, pulled it out and placed it on her bed. Clary opened the lid and reached for the leather notebook with the inventions then flicked through it. She could smell the paper and it smelt wonderful.

She then started reading it and she must've spent almost half an hour reading. CLary even surprised herself at the amount of attention she gave to the book. Normally, books like these bore her to death. But not this one.

She was now looking at a drawing of what seemed to be a Sensor. She looked at the details of the invention and saw the word finished at the end. So whoever owned this must've made the Sensor she thought and Clary couldn't help but frown that that person could have been murdered too. "What if he didn't get the praise he deserved?" Clary then heard the sound of the Institute doors opening and instantly thought it was Jace and the others. She was about to stand up and run to them when she realized that she had left the book open and the box was next to it. She heard footsteps and quickly placed the book back in the box and slid the box under her bed. She thought of something to do and took out her stele and drew an angelic rune at the back of her wrist. She did not know why she did this. It was as if she had a secret that no one must know.

"Clary?" Jace's voice startled her and the stele flew forward, making a mess of the rune. Jace opened the door as she reached for her stele and gave her a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing?" She looked at him and noticed how he was completely drenched and the demon ichor splattered over his gear. It was exactly how she imagined him coming out of a battle.

"I was drawing a rune until you totally messed it up" she showed the mess and Jace went over to her to inspect the rune. He took her hand and she shivered a little at his warm touch.

"It doesn't really matter I guess" Jace smiled at her and leaned forward to kiss her. It was brief though and he pulled away with a grin. "We should do this later" he looked down at himself. "I look a bit messy"

Clary laughed and Jace kissed her again before leaving. She knew they were bound to have dinner soon, but she knew that Jace would want them to go together and so she decided to wait.

"Come on, dinner's ready" Jace said as he appeared at her doorway and she stood up and put on her cardigan as he opened the door wide for her.

"Where's Maryse and Robert?" Jace asked as they arrived at the kitchen and found only Isabelle and Alec there. They were both starting their dinner.

"They're doing something but they took their dinner with them so don't worry Jace" Isabelle smiled and Jace gave her a mock-grin.

"Why would I be worried?" he said as they both sat down and started eating. That, Clary knew, was a lie. Jace did worry at times for Maryse and Robert because, for him, they were his parents now- after she told him he was a Lightwood -and Jace missed out on that feeling of parental love for a long time and even from Valentine he had missed it. Jace did love Valentine and Clary knew Valentine loved him as well, even when he killed him, because after that she saw him grieve for Jace and she thought that it would be pretty hard to get that from Valentine. "Clary?" she snapped back to reality as she saw Jace looking at her in worry. "You get lost a lot these days and if you do, you should at least take me with you"

Clary smiled at him. "I do" Jace's brow creased in confusion and she grinned at him.

Isabelle suddenly stood up and rushed to the kitchen sink. She took a glass of water and started drinking the water as if she needed it to continue living. Which is true because water gives us life, Clary thought.

Isabelle turned back to them, her cheeks burning, eyes wild and her glare alternating between Jace and Alec. "Who," her voice trembled in anger but she forced it down without much success, "put chilli in my pasta?" she took a deep breath. "I know that they never put chilli in that pasta unless you asked for it" her gaze fixed on Jace and he was shaking his head. Isabelle looked at Clary for help and Clary looked at him and his eyes were unreadable. She turned back to Isabelle with a shrug. She knew she ought to stand up for Jace, but if it was him she had to side with Isabelle or she may do something really terrible to her...

Isabelle pointed an accusing finger at Jace "Don't lie to me Jace"

"Why aren't you asking Alec? You did say 'who'" Jace defended himself and Isabelle turned to Alec. He was wide eyed and he shook his head too. Isabelle sighed deeply as she tried to force the anger down. It was clear she wasn't going to let it pass. "Anyways, why didn't you notice it Izzy?"

Isabelle's face turned a deeper red and she opened her mouth. "Because chilli is RED! My pasta sauce is RED! If you mix red and red together, what do you get?" she screamed and they heard footsteps coming from the stairs as the three of them stared at Isabelle.

Jace seemed to think about the answer. "Clary" he smiled and Clary elbowed him on the ribs. He turned to her with a frown. "That was actually kind of painful"

"It must've been hard to admit that"

Maryse popped her head in "What's wrong? We heard you screaming Isabelle-" she stopped to stare at her daughter's face and placed her hand on her mouth. "Oh dear"

"It's either Jace or Alec and I'm leaning towards Jace" Isabelle's voice still trembled.

The golden-haired boy crossed his arms in front of him. "That's hardly fair Izzy. I didn't even get my opinion out and you're already summoning the one who's going to behead me. This is a free country and I have my rights!"

"No one is going to be beheaded if someone's going to tell the truth" Maryse said as she walked over to them. She gave Jace and Alec the look mothers gave you when they're telling you that you shouldn't mess with them.

Jace sighed and gave Alec a glance. Alec shrugged and they both raised their hands. "We did it" they both said in unison and Isabelle stared at her brother in what seemed like betrayal. Clary stared too.

"Told you Alec's not a force to be dealt with" Jace whispered to her and Clary just realized what he told her back then about 'diabolical plans' were true.

"You" Isabelle pointed her finger at Alec while Maryse stared at Alec in surprise. "You betrayed me by poisoning me with red hot chilli peppers"

"Sorry Izzy" Alec gave an apologetic smile.

Maryse sighed. "Please do not murder each other and just let this go" she asked them and they all nodded, Isabelle's mouth still hanging open. Maryse left and Isabelle sat down in a daze.

"Are you mad at me?" Alec asked his sister with genuine apology in his voice.

"No. I'm mad at Jace but not you" Isabelle said without looking at Jace and he scoffed.

"What?"

"You must've threatened Alec" Isabelle said with wide eyes and Jace sighed.

"So you did threaten him?" Clary asked Jace, without looking up from her drawing. They were in his room and Jace was reading through old Herondale files again while she drew. Clary worried for him every time he did that.

She didn't know why he did it. Perhaps to get some answers to questions or just to know something about his background. What she did know was that Jace wanted to talk to someone that was part of his family even though he knew they were all most likely in their graves now. He wanted to be able to have this opportunity to feel more of a bond with Stephen Herondale rather than Valentine and it made her wish that she could just summon Stephen Herondale for him but Amatis was the best choice. The only thing is that she's not around.

"Yeah. You wouldn't want to know how though" his emotionless voice snapped her reverie and she looked up to see Jace reading a letter. "I just wish I could talk to them and ask them all these things…" He trailed off with an open mouth and Clary went over to him and gave him a hug. He hugged her back and for a while and they were just there, listening to silence, but then Clary could tell it was time for her to go.

Jace knew it too as he pulled back and kissed her. "I wish you don't have to go" she smiled and went to the bed and took her stuff.

"I do too but I promised mom and Luke" she said as she headed for the door and opened it. It had taken her a lot of arguing with her mother to finally let her go and live at the Institute while they were away. She still laid her ground rules though.

She paused to say good night and he said the same and an unspoken 'I love you' hung in the air between them. She closed the door and headed towards her bedroom, the image of Jace looking sadly at the letters burned into her mind.

She rolled around in her mattress and found out that sleep wouldn't come no matter how hard she tried. Clary groaned for what seemed like the tenth time and sat up straight. Maybe I need to read something to get tired she thought but she had nothing to read.

Or at least that's what she thought.

She took the box from under her bed and read the inventions book again. She saw drawings and diagrams that fascinated her and read the notes even if some of them she didn't quite understand.

She was on the edge of sleep when she looked at the very back page to see if they had put a small note there- Clary thought that lots of people put extra notes in the back -and found something had been scribbled along the top. Clary examined it and noticed that it was Latin. Jace spoke Latin to her many times in the past month, but she didn't know what they meant. "_O has fessas, ea perficere ex fine. O has fessas, veniant ad vitam iterum. O has fessas, ea perficere ex fine. O has fessas, da alter locus_" the words she said echoed through her mind and the book slid out of her grasp as her head fell back on the pillow.

There was a loud thud and Clary's eyes snapped open. She took the stele and witchlight on her nightstand and sat upright. She squinted in the dark and saw no one in her room. But it sounded near Clary thought when she suddenly heard a set of footsteps and held her seraph blade in front of her as she held her breath. The door knob turned.

The door opened and Jace's golden head, illuminated by a witchlight, appeared through it and Clary sighed in relief. "Are you alright? He asked as he closed his fist around the witchlight and as it dimmed a little bit. He was holding the basic Shadowhunter equipment which consisted of the stele, a seraph blade and a witchlight.

Clary nodded when she realized something "Don't tell me you heard that too" she whispered to him and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm a Shadowhunter, Clary" he smiled at her. "I'm made ready for things like these"

"Oh" Clary felt her cheeks burn slightly at her stupidity.

He smiled then turned back towards the hall "I'll go check it out" he said as he made his way out and Clary went after him. Jace protested but Clary held her ground. "Alright" he finally gave in with a trail of disapproval. Clary rolled her eyes at him and he ignored it although she couldn't help but smiling at winning their argument.

They descended the stairs silently, their shadows elongated by the witchlight. Clary was about to ask Jace something when they heard footsteps. He took her hand and they pressed up against a wall and Jace doused the witchlight. They listened to the footsteps and Jace raised his seraph blade. The footsteps became louder.

A figure rounded the corner and Jace was about to slash at it when they gave out a small scream. It was feminine and familiar. "Isabelle" Jace sighed as he held the witchlight in front of him.

Isabelle was in her nightgown, her long hair tied in a braid down her back and she had the same things Jace carried. It made Clary feel a bit left out. "Be careful with that!" she whispered angrily at the blade.

"What is it Izzy?" Alec's voice came out of nowhere and Isabelle turned towards where he is and told him it was only them. He soon appeared beside Isabelle. "You heard it too?" he asked them.

Jace sighed in exasperation. "Why is everyone asking that question? We're Shadowhunters for crying out loud" Alec mumbled a sorry as Jace beckoned them to go forward.

They had reached a hall when Isabelle asked a question "Where do you think it is?" her voice was really quiet.

"I think the question should be what do you think it is?" Clary whispered.

Isabelle gave it some consideration. "It can't be demons because they can't enter the place so maybe it's a burglar" they all looked at her with an incredulous expression. "What? This is New York people. Burglaries happen all the time"

"That's true, but who would rob a dilapidated church?" Jace asked.

"Dilapidated" Alec repeated the word. "That's a big word"

Jace raised his eyebrow at him "Are you saying I'm an idiot?"

"No" Alec avoided his piercing gaze. "I'm just saying it's not commonly used" they heard another thud behind them, only softer and quieter, and they turned around to see what it was, the three trained Shadowhunters had their seraph blades held out in front.

Something moved and Jace brightened the witchlight. The light crept upon something small on the floor and they all strained their eyes and sighed in relief and annoyance. It was Church the cat. "Church" Jace whispered to the cat as if it was human. "Where do you think the noise came from?"

"You're seriously asking him?" Clary said in an incredulous voice. Jace had done it before, but she didn't think that he'd still do it now and with that question.

"You'd be surprised at what cats can do" as if on cue, Church moved past them and Jace followed. Clary shrugged and followed after Jace, Isabelle and Alec behind her. They were moving pretty fast and-

Jace fell backwards as he seemed to slam into someone and Clary held her stele out and saw Robert Lightwood illuminated by Isabelle's witchlight. Maryse was behind him and there was no sign of Church. "Jace?" he helped him up.

"Don't ask me if I heard the noise too" he told him as he put away his witchlight.

"I wasn't going to" he looked at all of them and smiled at what they were carrying. "I think you should leave this to us" he held his hand up as Jace started to protest and he shut his mouth. "It shouldn't be something very bad"

"So why are we checking?" Jace sounded annoyed.

Robert sighed. "You mean Maryse and I" he gave Jace a stern look as the boy crossed his arms in front of him. "And we are going to because-"

Just then, they heard a loud crashing noise and they all turned their heads toward the sound. "That sounded as if it came from the library" Maryse said and Jace bolted. Clary followed after and soon they were all running towards it.

They stopped at the library's closed doors and readied themselves. Robert went over to the doors and gave them meaningful looks and with a nod, opened the doors.

Clary didn't know what to expect. So she was completely and utterly shocked when she saw what was before her.

The library was a site for chaos. Papers were everywhere and books have come off the shelves. The couches were toppled over and the logs for the fire were rolling around as if a tornado was in the room. But Clary wasn't staring at these. She was staring at seven figures lying on the floor of the library, all had blood stains on their clothes that seemed to date back during the Victorian period. There were blackened parts of their dresses and Isabelle gasped. Clary gasped inside too as she saw the boy in the picture among them.

He stirred. He raised his head and looked up at them with dazed blue eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I had nothing to do today so I spent my entire time writing chapter three while listening to the Christian radio station. It's not that long anyway so I finished it quite early. I promise all your questions will soon be answered. It just takes patience. To Elise the Amazing, I love both Jem and Will. I just like Will's character better but I find them both amazing people and if I were asked to choose between the two of them, I'll change the subject instantly.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Infernal Devices or the Mortal Instruments. Cassandra Clare does.**

**So without further ado, I present to you...**

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-Chapter three-

At one moment, she felt nothing.

Then a surge of warmth pulsed through Tessa's veins, thawing her cold, dead body. She felt winds zoom past her, whipping her figure, and hear the sound of chaos. She didn't know what was happening, but she thought that it hardly mattered when she was dead.

And she knew she was dead becasue she saw the blood and the knife.

Tessa still couldn't believe it though.

She could feel herself sigh inside. _So this is what it feels like_, Tessa thought as she stared into the blackness before her. _To be nothing more than a soul that disappeared from the face of the earth_, she looked around and saw infinite darkness. Tessa came to the conclusion that since she was a warlock, she ended up in a sort of silent hell. A _very_ silent hell.

Suddenly, she felt someone shake her and Tessa tried to fight them off for she feared that maybe this hell is planning bring pain to her. "Tessa!" she heard a female whisper and she kept trying to pull away. "Tessa! Open your eyes!"

_Open my eyes?_ Tessa found the voice incredulous. Her eyes were already open. The voice kept calling to her and _pleading_ to her.

"Please, Tessa! You're alive!" Tessa thought the voice was mocking her now.

"For goodness sake! Just slap her awake Charlotte!" Tessa froze at the voice. Will. Her heart started beating erratically. Tessa felt a sudden jolt through her at the feeling and realization of her _beating_ heart.

She was alive?

Her eyes opened and she saw a blurred face. Her eyes finally focused and she now realized where the female voice came from.

It was Charlotte.

Tessa looked up at her face. It was streaked with dirt and blood and her hair came loose from her bun and fell around her. Charlotte smiled at her while Tessa looked at her Shadowhunter clothing.

There, just over where the heart is, was a dark stain. It looked slightly red and the sight of it made Tessa almost throw up. It was blood and it was Charlotte's. "Tessa?" Charlotte noticed her looking at the blood and looked down at her clothes. "Well, yes" she looked back at Tessa. "But I'm fine"

Tessa could feel tears rise. Charlotte's dead because of her. "No" her voice sounded terrible, as if she hasn't used it for a long time. "No, you're not" Charlotte picked up her fingers and ran them over her wrist. Tessa gasped as she felt her steady pulse and her warm hands. "B-but" she stammered and Charlotte interrupted her.

"I don't understand either but I'll try to find out" Tessa just realized how stupid she has been. If she was alive, Charlotte must be too. She scolded herself mentally then heard another familiar voice.

"Are you alright Tessa?" it was Jem and she looked around for him. During her search, she found out that she was lying on the floor and she was in what seemed like a library- as is evident by the books on the shelves -with papers strewn everywhere and furniture knocked over as if a tornado had tore through the room. Tessa sat up as she saw a boy with silver hair- that had dirt and blood on it -and silver eyes. He smiled at her and Tessa almost wanted to cry at his pained face and at the blood over his heart.

"I'm sorry" she mouthed to him. He must hate her now but, as is Jem and his being a gentleman, he was hiding it so she wouldn't get hurt. Jem looked at her in confusion and Tessa looked down in shame.

"You have every right to apologize Tessa" she felt his words cut through her like a sharp knife. This is exactly the reason why she avoided him. She could feel the weight of his glare which forced her to keep looking at the floor.

"Please," Charlotte said beside her, "not now Will" she sounded tired and confused. There was a cough and Tessa looked up and finally saw _what_ was before her.

Yes, she was in a library that was torn apart by some cruel force of nature. But she also saw Henry, Jessamine and poor Sophie with the same blood stain on the same place in their clothes, looking tired and dirty. Even Will, though she didn't look in his eyes. Tessa drowned herself in guilt until she saw the people that were staring at them in surprise.

They were wearing odd clothes and she had no idea who these people were, but Tessa knew _what_ they were. They were Shadowhunters. It was clear by the marks written all over their skin and the seraph blades gripped tightly in their hands. One man took a step towards them and Tessa noted the expression on his face. He looked shocked and he was pale as if he was about to faint but, alas, Shadowhunters weren't meant to faint. He cleared his throat "Who are you?" he asked them and Tessa heard that familiar accent she grew up to mixed with his voice.

"Why, that's very rude of you!" Will, as always, interrupted Charlotte before she could speak. "Will you not give us a warm welcome first? Never mind, you Americans are never warm. Isn't that right Tessa?" Tessa willed herself not to flinch at his words.

"Look who's speaking" Tessa's head snapped to the voice- who also had that accent -in surprise and saw that it came from a boy with golden hair and tawny eyes. She could suddenly sense something familiar in him, but she didn't know what. "Why don't you just shut up?" Tessa's mouth dropped open to the boy's words. She couldn't understand what he meant about 'shut up' but Tessa could tell it sounded like 'be quiet!'.

"I prove my case" Will replied and the boy was about to speak again when the girl beside him touched his arm in a warning gesture. The girl had fiery red hair and a soft face and Tessa's mouth could only drop more at her clothes. She was wearing what seemed like trousers except it ended much too high above her ankles and even above her knees! Her shoulders were nearly bare too! _Isn't she uncomfortable in the men's presence?_ Tessa thought as she looked at the girl's unbearble clothing once again. Tessa suddenly wondered where she was.

"Will" Charlotte scolded him. She took a deep breath and looked at the group of people in front of her. "We, as you can see, are Shadowhunters too except for Tessa and Sophie here," she gestured to her and Sophie and Tessa felt each and every one of the gazes the Shadowhunters gave her, "and I know this sounds ridiculous but-"

Suddenly, Jem's coughing interrupted her and Tessa's head whipped around to see Will in front of him in an instant. "Jem," his voice was calm, "did you bring your medicine with you?" Jem shook his head and Tessa felt her heart skip a beat as she heard Sophie gasp in horror. If Jem didn't get his medicine soon, he'd die.

Jem coughed violently again and Tessa stood up and made her way towards him. She saw the blood in his hands and felt the blood drain out of her face. "Jem..." she reached towards him but Will's cold and pleading eyes stopped her.

"What's happening?" she heard a female say and Charlotte explained it to her, worry evident on her tone.

"A poison from the demon Yanluo?" the man asked. "We may have some of that"

"Well why don't you go and get one already?" Will said in a controlled voice. He was getting angry. Tessa turned to the man and saw him nod. He looked at the tall woman to his right and she dashed away while the man looked back at them.

"My children and their friend will take you all to the infirmary and help you while I join my wife in search for the poison" he took a look at the four to his left and gave them a nod. They gave him a nod in reply and he disappeared.

"Thank you" Charlotte said before hurrying to Jem. Everyone- except Jessamine who had only stared at her hands -were beside Jem now as he started coughing more violently.

"The infirmary is this way" they looked up to see a tall and beautiful girl with long black hair tied in a braid at her back and blue eyes standing in front of them. Tessa looked past her to see the blonde boy and the red-haired girl gone but the other boy- who also had black hair and blue eyes -had stayed behind. Tessa thought that, from this distance, you could mistake the boy for Will by the similarity in their hair and eyes.

"Let's go Jem" Will said and Tessa stood up to make way for them. Jem's arm was slung over Will's shoulder as he helped his friend to the infirmary- as is guided by the girl -and Tessa picked up Jem's cane as she followed after them. She looked behind her and saw Charlotte and Henry trying to shake Jessamine to reality and Sophie with wet eyes as she followed after Tessa.

They passed the doorway and the boy looked at them up and down with a frown on his face. Tessa found instant dislike for the boy already._ Can't he see what's going on?_

She heard Henry and Charlotte sigh behind her in what seemed like relief and she turned around to see them- with Jessamine -following after. Tessa felt guilt once again at what she had done. Jessamine's face was full of despair and her hair fell around her which made her look insane.

These people had died and felt that feeling of dying because of her and right now, Jem was coughing blood. Tessa screamed and thrashed inside her mind._ Isn't there anything I can affect that will _not_ result in pain?_ she could feel the tears again but she forced them back. For now.

They climbed a staircase and Tessa noticed the girl, Isabelle as she had introduced herself, touching somehting on the wall and, a fraction of a second after, lights appeard from the ceiling and Tessa stared at it in wonder. "Amazing" she heard Henry breathe behind her.

The girl turned back to them. "It's called electricity" she smiled at them, enunciating the words.

"Can we discuss this later and move faster?" Will cut off the moment and the girl frowned at him and hurried forward. Jem had stopped coughing but his hand was over his mouth and that mere action is all Tessa could hang onto so she wouldn't think he had _left_.

They soon arrived in a room with beds lining the sides and Tessa saw the other two already in the room. Will placed Jem on a bed. His breathing was rough and loud, as if he was in pain. _Which must be the case_, Tessa thought as she kneeled on one side of the bed and dropped his cane beside her on the floor. Will was also kneeling on the other side of the bed. His fists were clenched and they were shaking.

"Where are they?" he said as Jem's face started contorting and his fists balled. Suddenly, he screamed. Will stood up and held Jem down as he thrashed on the bed wildly and started shouting something in his language. "Jem..." Will trailed off and Tessa could see the horror in his eyes that must be reflected in her own and everyone else's. Will looked back at the other Shadowhunters in the odd clothes. "Where are they?" he yelled at them and when they didn't give him a response he cursed.

"N-NO!" Jem screamed and started speaking in his language again. His screams broke Tessa apart and made her tears finally spill. She reached out and took his clenched hand in both of hers and squeezed it. Jem's eyes flew open and focused on Tessa. "T-Tessa" he said in between his teeth and she stared into his white eyes with a black dot in the middle. He started screaming again, but he seemed to try to stop it this time.

"Jem..." Tessa looked up at Will who had spoken, but he wasn't looking at his friend. He was staring at her in incredulity and wonder. For the first time since the incident in the attic, they gazed into each other's eyes and Tessa felt lost in his once again.

But she knew it wouldn't last and it shouldn't.

He broke their gaze as he turned around again. "Can you call for a warlock?" he said in another controlled tone.

The four all looked at each other and Will did something unimaginable. "Please" Tessa heard him say that only at least once and it was to make her go when she first met Jem and when he was also in pain. "Please get a warlock"

"What type of people do you think we are?" Isabelle said with a smile. "Sadists? Alec," she turned to the boy Tessa disliked, "call him" the boy, Alec, nodded and took somehting out of his pocket. He left the room and Tessa looked back at Jem.

He was sweating and his teeth were clenched. He was still screaming. She placed her forehead on the bed as she held his shaking hand. "It'll be alright Jem" she whispered as she heard someone sit behind her. She lifted her head and turned around to see Charlotte. Her eyes were also wet and Henry sat next to her and comforted her. Tessa looked past them to see Jessamine looking at Jem in horror and Sophie crying beside her.

The room was filled with nothing but screams.

All of a sudden, they heard a sound of air whipping around and around like a tornado was about to appear. Tessa then saw a bright light outside and Alec came back in. "He's here"

"You know I wouldn't do this if it wasn't for you" Tessa heard a familiar voice say and she stared at the man that appeared at the doorway.

His black hair was spiked like a hedgehog's and it sparkled. His almond eyes were outlined by something black and his mouth was open in shock. She looked him up and down and he was dressed in a shiny black material that also glittered. However, she believed that he was the person she met at De Quincey's party.

"Magnus?" Will, Charlotte and Henry said in unison and Tessa could hear their shocked expressions. The four other Shadowhunters all stared at Magnus in surprise, especially the boy named Alec.

Magnus Bane looked back at them with wide eyes then rested on Jem's thrashing figure. "Or maybe not"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I've got a question for you. What do you think I get if I suffer insomnia and drink hot chocolate?  
****WRITING FRENZY!  
I know I finished chapter three yesterday after just one day and I'm doing it again for chapter four! Wow. I'm crazy. ;) Anyways, here's chapter four and I've finished it because it's not very long (but it is important). Thanks for the reviews too! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments or the Infernal Devices. Cassandra Clare does. **

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-Chapter four-

They were all looking at the glittering warlock with surprise clear as day in their faces. "Magnus?" Charlotte, the man with red hair and the impudent boy, Will, said in unison.

"Or maybe not" Magnus said as he rocked back and forth and went over to the silver-haired boy who was still thrashing about. "Get away and let me get to work" he told Will and the boy stood up and out of his way. The girl named Tessa moved away too as Magnus snapped his fingers and blue sparks surrounded him and the screaming boy. In an instant, his writhing stopped and his yells died down.

"How do they know him?" Clary heard Alec ask silently behind her. She looked at him to see his blue eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, which must be the same expression she had when they said 'Magnus'.

Jace rolled his eyes and looked at his adopted brother. "Magnus _is_ a warlock, Alec" he whispered to him so that the other Shadowhunters couldn't hear. "He's lived for a long time" Alec's face fell when Jace said the last two words and Clary felt pity for him, even if she didn't know what he was thinking about that made him sad.

She looked back at the boy and found him asleep though pain was still clear on his pale and sweaty face. Magnus stepped back as the sparks disappeared and looked at Will. "You'll need to get him that medicine soon because the spell can only hold it off for about an hour and he'll start screaming again and this time, it'll be worse" Will nodded morosely as Magnus moved away and he took his place by Jem. Tessa had moved back too and she was staring at the boy, tears still forming in her eyes. Clary looked at her and remembered when Will was being unfair to her. She wished that she could punch him then.

"Thanks Magnus" Charlotte said and Magnus gave her a nod. Clary notice a glint of hope in her eyes and she instantly wished that they would find the medicine.

As if on cue, Maryse and Robert appeared at the doorway and Clary looked at them for the medicine.

But they didn't have it.

They looked at the scene before them and Magnus in all his glittery wonder. "We can't find any" Maryse said and Clary heard someone make a small noise. She turned around and noticed it was the girl who had the scar on her face. "I'm sorry"

Magnus sighed heavily as he produced a pen and paper out of thin air and started writing feverishly on it. He gave the paper to Maryse and Robert "That's a note you should give to a warlock I know. He'll notice it's my writing and give you the medicine. He lives close and I've written the address down. Hurry. You only have one hour at the most" his words almost slurred together but Maryse and Robert gave him a nod and left in an instant. Magnus turned to the four of them- Clary, Jace, Isabelle and Alec -and his cat eyes narrowed. Clary felt nervous all of a sudden. Magnus' eyes seemed to look through her and know who had done _this_.

Clary knew that these people came from the past and that there is no way that they came on their own. Someone did something to make them appear at the Institute. _But what something?_ she thought to herself when she felt a cold realization sweep her off her feet.

The words. They were Latin and she didn't know them yet she said them aloud. After she said them, they appeared.

Had she done all _this_?

"Well, I suppose that we should at least fill in this unbearable silence while we wait" Jace's voice brought Clary back to the present and she was glad for she didn't want to dwell on her thoughts. Magnus had now stood beside Alec and Isabelle sat on the bed facing the boy's, her seraph blade and witchlight at the foot of the bed. "So, where did you all come from and what year?" he gestured at their clothes.

Charlotte sighed heavily, but gratefully. Clary noticed her face crease in confusion when he said 'what year', but it cleared in an instant. She wondered whether she knew or not that they were in the future "We came from the London Institute during the year 1878"

The cold struck Clary again and she heard Magnus clear his throat behind her. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go get something and, Jace, will you be a cookie and let me borrow Clary for a while?" the warlock grinned widely and Charlotte and Jace nodded while Magnus took Clary's arm and left with Clary following after him.

"I'll go get you some food" Isabelle stood up suddenly and followed after Clary and Magnus. Clary thought that she must be suspecting it too.

London, 1878. It was the same year and place those Shadowhunters died. It was them. "Wait for me!" Isabelle whispered to Clary and Magnus as they half-walked and half-jogged down the hall. She couldn't help but notice Magnus' tight grip on her arm which meant that he was angry. Which also meant that this was _very_ bad. A ten in Magnus' scale of bad events.

He opened a door and Clary knew it was a bedroom before she even entered it and Magnus and Isabelle went inside with her. Magnus let go of Clary and took a deep breath in while Isabelle paced up and down the room with a nervous set of shoulders. The warlock took a deep breath in and stared at Clary "Clary, darling" his voice sounded eerie, as if he was a psycho in a horror movie that was trying to calm her down before he murdered her. "What rune did you make up now? Was it a necromancy rune?" his voice was accusing.

"No" Clary defended herself as Magnus' eyes narrowed into slits. "I didn't do any! I promise!" Magnus sighed and Clary could see the impatience in his eyes. He looked at her then looked down in belief as if what he saw in her green eyes was the truth.

"Then how would you explain those people in the infirmary right now Clary?" Isabelle said as she stopped pacing and stared at her across the room. "They're supposed to be dead"

"I know that Izzy" Clary sat on the bed and placed her seraph blade and witchlight beside her. She then placed her face in her hands in despair. She didn't know the rules about necromancy, but there must be a reason Magnus was mad at her, aside from bringing back the dead. "I think I did do it, but I'm not so sure how"

"Well, tell me what you did before they came then. Before something worse happens" Magnus said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Isabelle gasped at what she heard from Magnus and Clary raised her head.

"Worse?" there was a tone in her voice that was reaching panic. Clary had a sudden feeling that it's a bad thing for Shadowhunters to raise the dead. "What can be worse than my parents surely telling the Clave about this and Clary being summoned," she gave her a dark look, "again which would make Jace crazy. Again"

"Can you two be more cruel?" she asked sarcastically and they only gave her serious looks. Clary sighed heavily "Magnus," she looked up at him, "I found this notebook that had these inventions on it and at the very last page, I saw this Latin sentence and said it. After that, I fell asleep"

Magnus nodded and his eyebrows creased in thought. "What were the words?"

Clary thought about it and sighed in frustration "I don't remember. I was half-asleep by the time I said them" Isabelle had stood beside Clary now and was looking at the floor while the warlock had his turn on the pacing.

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Isabelle spoke as she pointed to Clary's left wrist. "Why is your angelic rune like that Clary?" Isabelle asked and Clary looked down at it. It was the rune that she drew as a pretend thing to do while waiting for whoever was about to knock on her door, knock. It was messed up after Jace had come in and now a black line had crossed diagonally over it.

"Oh" Clary said as she fingered the mark and as Magnus went over to them. "I was putting it on when Jace surprised me" suddenly, Magnus grabbed her wrist, forcing her up and glared at it. "Magnus!" Clary exclaimed and his hands left her wrist. He looked up at her with a horrified expression. "What?" a cold feeling went up Clary's spine at what she saw.

"A theory" Magnus said as he turned his back on them. "I have a theory"

"Well, what is it?" Isabelle said, impatience thick on her tone.

"Clary has gained extra powers by adding that line" his head bowed as he placed his hands behind him. "Extra angelic powers that allow her to raise the dead. You see, it's impossible to raise the dead when you don't have the powers to do so. But Clary gained some through the rune and she also has a little bit more angelic blood on her so it worked"

Isabelle gasped and turned to Clary. "So are they like ghosts?" Clary found herself annoyed at Isabelle. _How can you think about that when_ I raised _the_ dead_?_ she thought as she fell back to the bed. _Besides, it's a stupid question. They weren't transparent and they weren't floating_. Clary then thought that maybe ghosts were different to Shadowhunters and that's why Isabelle asked the question.

"No" Magnus said as he turned around to them. His eyes were dark and unreadable. "They're human with flesh and blood. It's more like giving them a second chance at living" Clary expected Isabelle to say something, but when she didn't Clary looked up at her eyes and her own eyes widened at what she saw.

Max Lightwood.

Isabelle wanted her brother back. Her eyes looked like glass and she stared to nowhere, a frown on her pale face.

Magnus must've noticed it too. "We shall not let this happen again" Isabelle's head snapped up and Magnus gave her a meaningful look which she ignored. "Your parents need to know this too, immediately" the look switched to Clary and she nodded.

"I'll go get them the cake I promised" Isabelle left with Shadowhunter speed and left Clary and Magnus by themselves.

"You know that this has consequences Clary and that it could break the trust between Downworlders and Shadowhunters" Clary nodded in agreement at what Magnus told her. It could break it because when the other Downworlders find out, they'll start to suspect that Shadowhunters will start raising their dead. Even Valentine could be raised because, for sure, there are still some faithful Circle members out there. However, the consequences on the bond between Downworlders and Shadowhunters maybe high, but the consequences that affect her personally must be higher and she didn't even know them.

"Is there a side effect?" Clary looked at Magnus who ignored her. She felt a sudden stab of hurt. Clary tried to keep her mouth shut so she wouldn't bother him any more, but there were so many questions that bubbled up her throat that she couldn't. "Is the spell reversible?" she asked out of interest.

Magnus sighed "No" he didn't look at her and he was staring out the window.

"Are you mad at me?" Clary asked and, this time, he turned.

"Not entirely. Annoyed fills in the gaps where anger doesn't occupy it" Clary almost smiled at his response, but the look on his face stopped her. She asked him why he wasn't furious with her- as he should be -and he sighed. "These people knew about my past and I was different back then and if they tell Alec..." he trailed off and Clary looked at her feet in shame. Magnus was having a hard time because of her.

In fact, everyone was.

When she thought everything was finally settling down, they peaked again and when she heard a _smash_ing sound from upstairs, it made her all the more worried and guilty. She took the seraph blade and the witchlight beside her and dashed out of the room, Magnus right behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I have good news and bad news. I am still on a writing frenzy, which is the good news. The bad news is that this might- that's a big might -be my last chapter before school (I have one day left!). I'm saying this now so you won't look for explanations while I'm gone. I won't be able to update for approximately three months, but I may write teasers in my profile every three weeks. That's a big may too. So, sorry for those who will have to wait. We'll just have to be patient guys. I love this story, and I want to finish- wait, no. NEED to finish -it. Don't worry.**

**Sorry for the bad news. So let me give you something that might cheer you up.**

**Disclaimer: You know it. Am not Cassandra Clare and I don't own MI or ID. I do own my copies of MI and ID series. Hmmmmm. That sounded lame.**

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-Chapter five-

Tessa watched as Magnus and the red-haired girl, Clary, leave. Isabelle followed them after saying something, but Tessa couldn't hear her. She was still looking at Jem while she hoped and hoped that the two Shadowhunters will be back soon.

His face was contorted in pain, but he was silent. How Tessa wished that she could take the pain away for him.

She laid her forehead against the mattress of the bed once again as she clutched his cold hand. _Please don't go Jem_, she thought. Tessa thought of a world without his kind words and his comforting company and instantly shut these thoughts away from her. They were painful. _But reality would be worse_, her tears spilled over again. His death would be unbearable. It made Tessa suddenly wonder what Will would feel when he'd known him much longer while she only met him for a couple of weeks. They were practically brothers.

"So what were you planning to say before, well, you know" the boy named Jace asked Charlotte to cut the thunderous silence. Tessa lifted her head to see him looking at them in sympathy, his golden eyes glinting against the light. Tessa found it odd how everything about him seemed gold.

"We're supposed to be dead" Charlotte said with a near emotionless voice. Tessa felt that stab of guilt again for what seemed like the thousandth time. She felt it when she saw the blood and it struck her endlessly at Jem's yells. No one said anything and Charlotte continued "We got killed when we were on our way to the Lightwoods when the carriages went up in flames" Charlotte stopped and Tessa could hear her tears sliding down her cheek and Henry comforting her. "We left the carriages and Tessa-" she choked and Tessa bowed her head and tried to block the memories out. She managed to stop them, but she knew that they would come back.

Henry felt compelled to continue it for his wife "Tessa went down first then we started fighting when these black-hooded figures attacked us" he stopped, perhaps to look up. "Mind you, they were good"

"They were not" Will snarled across from Tessa and it was the first time he spoke since Magnus arrived. "They got lucky and don't you dare say that they were better than us Henry" Henry must have been hurt by his words for he did not continue.

"And I guess you died because of them" Jace said and Tessa heard someone new sob. Jessamine. She looked at her from the corner of her eye and she was sitting down on the bed which Charlotte and Henry sat on, her back to Tessa, and was crying into her hands. Henry reached behind him and put his hand on her shoulder and told her it was okay.

Tessa expected Jessamine to continue crying, but instead she stood up and glared at Henry. "No!" her voice cracked as she shouted at Henry who had flinched. "It's not okay! My house is gone now! My parents are gone now! Papa and mama are GONE!" she turned around again and started talking to herself as she hugged herself. Tessa could hear her whispering her parents names over and over again and there was that bombardment of guilt again.

Will suddenly stood up and Tessa noticed his blue eyes bright with rage "Will you shut your mouth, Jessamine!" his fists were shaking at his side. "Your parents are DEAD! They've been dead for a longer time than us and you still grieve over them? Even after what happened to us, to Jem, you still care more about your stupid HOUSE!" Tessa's jaw dropped at Will. His voice has filled the room and seemed to shake the place.

"Why don't you shut _your_ mouth Herondale!" Jessamine hissed back at him and Charlotte stood up behind Tessa.

"I will ask this one more time" her voice was shaking in anger. "Can you both behave yourselves?" she shouted and Tessa felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck and she sat upright. She looked at Will who had kneeled beside Jem again and Tessa heard nothing more from Jessamine.

Charlotte finally did it. She took control.

Tessa heard the groaning of mattress and the silence stretched on. She looked towards the other Shadowhunters to see what they thought of them and she saw Jace looking at Will in shock as if he had found out something horrible. Tessa's brow furrowed then she glanced a look at the boy she disliked, Alec, and saw the same expression in his face, but he alternated his eyes between Will and Jace.

Suddenly, Isabelle appeared and Tessa noted the plates and spoons she had in one hand and the box on the other. She looked at the scene before her and placed the food on the bed and waited for someone to take one.

No one did and Isabelle crossed her arms in front of her in annoyance. "If no one's going to eat..." she shrugged it off. "I suppose I could interest you in an offer to change clothes then" Tessa saw Jessamine rise up and head toward Isabelle.

"Please take me away" she said and Isabelle nodded. Tessa heard Charlotte and Henry talk to each other and rise up from the bed and head towards Isabelle too.

Charlotte turned back. "Will?" the boy said nothing and Charlotte looked at Tessa. Her mouth remained shut, but Charlotte knew what she meant and looked at Sophie. She looked at Jem and sighed then stood up.

Isabelle led them out of the room and Will snarled under his breath. "Traitors" Tessa sighed inside. Unlike Will, she understood why Charlotte wanted to go. She wanted to get away from all the sadness so she could make herself stronger for them because she had too. Even if they didn't listen to her, they- Will included -need her. The same was with Henry and Sophie must've been unable to look at Jem and left. Jessamine was distressed and wanted to be alone.

It was silent again until Alec spoke. "So was living during the nineteenth century horrible?" Tessa stared at him in surprise. She didn't like him, but with him trying to make a lighter conversation, it made her feel guilt- again -because he was truly kind. "Um..." Tessa searched for something to say. "I would say that it's charming"

Alec pursed his lips in consideration and nodded. "Why so?"

"Oh" Tessa didn't expect him to ask her to elaborate. "I just find it wonderful" she heard Will smirk and turned her head towards him.

"You find everything like that" he then turned to Alec. "And you. Your efforts at starting a happy conversation are futile and pathetic" Tessa gasped inside. Will was going much too far. She looked at the other two Shadowhunters and found Alec looking at his feet in embarrassment and hurt while Jace was shaking in anger, his seraph blade still gripped by his hand.

Tessa turned back to Will "Will!" she said and he ignored her.

"What did you say?" Jace said and Will looked at him in a superior manner. The golden-haired boy glared at Will in hatred. "It would do you very well to not speak to my friend like that Mr _Herondale_ unless if you want me to murder you" he snarled at him and Tessa noticed the way he spat Herondale.

Will was amused and angry at the same time. He pulled up a mocking smile "What can I do? Your friend is nothing but a-"

His words were cut off by a glint and for a moment, fear gripped Tessa but she saw the seraph blade embedded on the wall. Will's mouth was open and Jace had his arm extended. Alec was gawking at what he saw before him. "So," Will finally spoke and Tessa heard it in his voice and feared for Jace in an instant, "that's how it's going to be eh?"

In a flash, Will had charged at Jace and knocked him to the ground. They knocked over a vase behind them and started throwing punches while they flung insults at each other and rolled on the floor. They were evenly matched. Tessa could see no reason to fear for Jace anymore. "Jace!" Alec went over to them while Tessa stood up.

"Stop it!" she said as she went to the wrestling boys and started pulling Will away from Jace. His nose had bled and he kept trying to shake Tessa off. She grabbed his arm and found her efforts were pointless. She had tried to stop Jessamine before and that was hard. Will, unfortunately, was ten times harder. "Will! Get off him!"

Suddenly, Clary and Magnus appeared. Clary gasped as she ran to Jace and tried pull him off. They both continued to roll around and even with their combined efforts, the two were inseparable. "Get away you three" Magnus said as he rubbed his hands together. "This calls for my specialty" Tessa was hesitant at first, but let go and Clary and Alec followed after her. Magnus clapped his hands together so it made a sound like thunder and split them apart instantly. The two then got separated and were hung in mid-air, both complaining and cursing.

"Magnus!" Will said as he kicked around and Tessa almost laughed at him. "When I get to you..." he looked like a helpless child.

"Let me down!" Jace crossed his arms in front of him, clearly realizing he has lost this one. Will had given up too and was glaring at Magnus with the same degree as Jace. Tessa then alternated looks between them and felt something tug at her mind...

"What's happening?" Charlotte's voice came from the doorway and Tessa turned to see her open-mouthed. Beyond her, Sophie, Henry and Isabelle were staring at the two hanging in the air. Jessamine was nowhere to be found, and that didn't surprise Tessa. "Will, you're bleeding and you..." she looked at Jace who had a cut on his forehead.

"Yes Charlotte" Will sighed in an almost sarcastic manner. "I rather think he broke my nose too and I do hope it isn't or else I shall do the same to his" Jace scoffed.

"All this fuss over your nose Brit" he was smirking at him and Tessa couldn't help but notice the resemblance in the way they smirk.

"In case you haven't noticed American dog, I only have one perfect nose and it's on my face!" Will gestured to his nose and Tessa shook her head in disappointment at Will's vanity. He seemed to have noticed for he glared down at her.

"Well, you cut my head and in case you haven't noticed, it's also on my face and I would also like to do the same with yours" Jace made Will whip his head back towards him.

"Ran out of insults have we?" Will smiled and Jace was about to say something when Magnus let go of his hold on them and dropped them to the floor. Tessa had thought that they were going to fall on their stomachs, but they landed on their feet. "Thank you Magnus" he said sarcastically.

"What happened?" Tessa looked back at Charlotte and finally got a good look at her. She was still wearing her Shadowhunter trousers, but her bloodied shirt had been replaced by a silk, long-sleeved, high-necked top that had lace at the edges of the sleeves and ruffles running down from the neck with pearl buttons. It was slightly loose on her, but it was perfect. She had also pinned up her hair in a bun.

_So they still have some proper clothes_, Tessa thought gratefully as she sneaked a glance towards Clary. If she was going to stay there, she at least wanted to wear something that would make her feel comfortable.

"I think it's pretty obvious Charlotte" Magnus said as he glared at the two. "They started insulting each other then it turned into an attempted murder" Charlotte sighed while Henry patted her shoulder. He was wearing a long-sleeved button up shirt and- like Charlotte -kept his Shadowhunter trousers. "We need to get you two away from each other" Magnus said, shaking his head. Charlotte agreed in silence as Clary took Jace's arm and as Will stalked back to Jem. Charlotte, Henry and Sophie- who was wearing a red, ankle-length dress that flowed around her -all moved towards Jem too and Tessa was about to follow when she saw Magnus and Clary exchange a look that puzzled Tessa. Then she remembered when they had left and wondered if it had something to do with them.

"Magnus..." she was about to ask Magnus what will happen to them now when she heard a smash! and Jace darted out of the door in an instant- but told Clary firmly to stay and she did with a stubborn frown -and was followed by Alec. Will stood up to follow too when Magnus stopped him.

"I think it's best that you two are kept apart" he looked Will up and down and saw his messed clothes. "You two trigger a TNT" he raised his eyebrows in mock horror.

"What's a TNT?" Will asked in irritation as Magnus started heading to the doorway, probably to follow Jace and Alec.

"There you go. Something to do while I'm gone" Magnus said with a grin as he disappeared. Will cursed and after a second, left in a run. Charlotte called after him as Clary decided to disobey Jace. Tessa suddenly had an urge to follow them.

And she did.

"Tessa!" Charlotte exclaimed in surprise just as she passed the threshold. She looked around the hallway and saw Clary's bright red hair and followed it. She gathered her skirts and remembered the last time she ran for her life and it was at the Institute, running away from Mortmain and his clockwork army. Her breath came quick and shallow as she tried to keep up with Clary. The girl wasn't as fast as Will or Jace, but she wasn't so bad either.

She descended the stairs and spied Clary's hair. She was making her way towards an open room and Tessa could see glinting and blue sparks. She heard another smash and hurried to the door and stopped at the entrance as she took in the sight before her.

The room was in chaos. The stained-glass window at the far wall smashed and the furniture slashed, showing the stuffings of sofas and making marks on the wood. It was dark yet she saw Alec lying on the floor at one corner of the room, unconscious, and Magnus standing over him, blue sparks of anger surrounding his hands. She then saw Clary who was pressed against a wall at the other corner and Jace protecting her from a man that Will was fighting with. He had his seraph blade with him and was lunging at the man. Jace then took a step forward as the man stepped backwards and Jace tried to injure him, but the man got away quickly. He was fast and flexible, making it hard to get to him. Jace kicked to him and the man stumbled backwards and towards-

"Tessa!" Will yelled as the man grabbed her after regaining his balance and placed a blade under her chin, the sharp edge pressing against her neck enough to cause a trickle of blood to run down. Tessa looked at the blade and noticed it was an angel blade.

The man was a Shadowhunter.

"Let go of her!" Will yelled as he ran towards the man and he backed away, pressing the blade down which caused Tessa's face to contort with pain. She tried to hide it, but she couldn't. Will stopped and glared at the man while Jace, Magnus and Clary ran towards Will. "You..." Will was shaking in anger.

It made Tessa feel... _good?_ It was incredulous, she thought, that Will would be so protective of her. The way he was acting now made her heart beat fast and unevenly. She knew she shouldn't feel glad now, but she couldn't help but smile at him. He caught her smile and his eyes widened in horror. Tessa then frowned. _Why did he react like that?_

The man that held her laughed and it brought Tessa back to reality. "Isn't this a great sight?" his voice was slightly deep and it brought chills to her spine. "The great Shadowhunters can't do anything to protect the shape-shifter girl" he sang the words and Tessa could see Will's hand grip his blade tighter, making cords of muscles in his arm stand out. The man laughed again "They were right! This is wonderful!"

"You traitor" said a voice behind Tessa. There was a sudden sound of slashing at air and the man behind her suddenly screamed in pain and Tessa turned around and out of his grip and saw Isabelle with a whip in her hand, Charlotte, Henry and Sophie behind her. Tessa looked back at the man who lunged for her again, but Isabelle's whip wrapped around his neck and Tessa did something she never expected herself to do.

She swung her fist into the man's face in anger and he stumbled backwards as Tessa clutched her arm in pain. Hitting his face was like hitting a wall. _At least I have stood up for myself and showed that it won't be easy to push me around_.She felt movement behind her and looked up to see Will staring at her incredulously. "You hit a Shadowhunter" a grin slowly spread across his face. "You actually hit a Shadowhunter" Tessa looked up at him when she heard someone screaming and looked at the man in front of her. He was twisting away from Jace and Isabelle who held him.

"You'll regret this!" Tessa could see his face clearly now. He had messy brown hair with a shock of blue tufts on the left side and his eyes were bicoloured and matched his hair. One dark brown and one electric blue. He was also younger than she originally thought. No more than nineteen. "You'll all die!" he looked at Tessa with loathing. "Even _you_ no matter how much they like _you_!"

Fear gripped Tessa, but she willed not to show it to the man. Whoever this _they_ this man was talking about, she was prepared for them as it showed by the way she held her chin high.

"What happened?" Henry asked as the man still thrashed about. He saw the seraph blade at his hand and looked at him in incredulity. "Is he-"

"Nephilim?" Jace cut him off. "Yes. And he betrayed us"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Guess what? I managed to get this past the guards blocking me to the computer so I can upload! Victory Dance! Anyways, here's the sixth chapter that I just got in. School's not to hard on me yet. This'll also be my last chapter, but- like I said -I'll be posting excerpts at my profile every three weeks or so. I might post one tomorrow. Might. For now, enjoy this while I enjoy my free time while it still lasts.**

**Major thanks to my reviewers too! Thank you for supporting this story!**

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare so I don't own MI or ID.**

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-Chapter six-

The Shadowhunter's laugh filled the room after Jace's statement and Will- obviously angered with the man -took a piece of wood that fell off from the fight and hit him in the head with it. "How classic" Jace uttered and Clary worried for a moment if he and Will will have another bloody match.

Instead, Clary realised that she didn't need to worry at all since Will had moved to Tessa and looked at her hand while telling her off. Clary felt her eyebrows crease in confusion. The boy had been so harsh to her and now he was being so caring, even if he was angry at her. She even saw how his peculiar eyes glinted with rage when the traitor held Tessa and had a blade by her neck.

Tessa.

Clary tried to remember what the Shadowhunter had called her. Shape-shifter. That was it. Clary felt her eyebrows crease again. She knew Tessa wasn't a Shadowhunter, but she had no idea that she was a shape-shifter nor had she heard that they existed. Her knowledge of the Shadow World- as Jace had said before in one of her trainings -was still insufficient. "He appeared and knocked Alec out then we fought against him" Jace said in answer to the red-haired man's question. "It's amazing. He had dodged our advances on him all by himself" Clary looked at Jace to find him staring at the man who lay on the floor.

"You mean it's suspicious" Magnus said behind Clary and she turned to see him with a murderous expression. It was clear he hated the man. Well, I suppose anyone who tries to hurt Alec just got themselves in Magnus' hate list, Clary thought. "Every time I fired at him, he missed it even when he can't see me. Then I noticed that it actually bounced off him"

Everyone seemed shocked by this revelation. "What do you mean bounced?" Will asked with an incredulous tone as he finished checking Tessa's hand. "Are you suggesting he can repel warlock magic? Are you sure because that sounds pretty impossible for me"

Magnus grinned darkly and looked back at the man. "Oh it's possible" he turned his eyes to Will. "All you need is a warlock spell of protection cast on you"

"What?" everyone except Tessa and the girl with the scar shouted. Magnus' eyes widened at the Shadowhunters.

"Are you saying that this," Jace pointed to the man, "is working with a warlock who had helped him murder us after all that has happened during Valentine?" Magnus nodded.

"It was as if he knew I would be here too" Clary tensed at that because it was possible. Was someone watching them? Everyone seemed to look around them for a moment when the man moaned and Will kicked him. Rather hard too and no one did anything about it.

"Well," Will raised his arms in the air in exasperation, "we can't waste our time asking questions. We should get the Silent Brothers to rake his head mercilessly" Charlotte gave him a look, but everyone- including Charlotte -agreed.

"Um," the girl whose name she still didn't know spoke up for the first time, "I'm sorry it's just that I'm worried he will wake up again" she gestured to the man moaning in front of her and Charlotte comforted the girl while Will proceeded to kick him again when Magnus stopped him.

"Don't worry, Sophie" she gave her a motherly smile. "We'll lock him away" Sophie smiled and Jace and Will picked the man off the floor and dragged him up the stairs.

"A little help here" Jace looked at Magnus and he snapped his fingers and the man floated in mid-air. "Thank you" Jace grinned at him while Isabelle stared at the man.

"That is so cool!" she jumped up and down and turned to Magnus, her hair whipping across her face. "Can I do that too?" Magnus shrugged and Isabelle clapped her hands together in joy.

Clary shook her head while the others started to disappear and as Magnus went back to Alec. "I can't believe you can think about that right now especially when your brother's being taken to the infirmary" she pointed to Alec- who was floating in mid-air -and Magnus who was taking him upstairs with him. Isabelle gasped and went over to him. Clary followed after them while thinking about the man.

She wondered what his reasons were for attacking them and remembered when the others fought against him. She had noticed that he was good and Clary hasn't seen anything like him since Sebastian. He wasn't a normal Shadowhunter. What if there's a new Valentine and they are doing this to other Shadowhunters? Clary thought with a frown on her face and as a tingle went up her spine. Sebastian. Her brother who was given demon blood. Her brother who almost killed Jace.

She finally reached the infirmary and saw Isabelle give Sophie the first-aid kit and an ice-pack before going to her brother whom Magnus was healing. Sophie went to Tessa and gave her the ice-pack- after giving it a bewildered look -and Tessa pressed it against her hand while Sophie started fixing Tessa's wounds. Clary wondered why Tessa wasn't waiting for Magnus instead, but suddenly thought that maybe Tessa didn't want to get sparked since she seemed to be avoiding the blue sparks with wide eyes. Clary smiled and looked at Charlotte who was speaking to the red-haired man on the bed next to Jem's. She wondered if they were married by the way they kept comforting each other, but she couldn't see that intimacy married people had between them.

Clary shrugged as she sat on the bed across where Tessa and Sophie was. Maybe they're different, she thought when Jace suddenly appeared with Will who was holding numerous items in his arms.

"That man is carrying more weapons than what Henry could sneak down into the laboratory with him" Charlotte then looked at the red-haired man, Henry, and gave her a questioning look while Henry laughed nervously.

"I wanted to experiment with them but I didn't want to tell you in case you might get worried" he smiled nervously and threw Will a frown which he ignored as he dropped the weapons on a bed and started sorting through them.

"What are you doing now?" Jace asked in an irritated tone as he watched the boy pick up random things and put them back in.

"What do you think?" he gave him a sarcastic reply. "I'm searching his items for a clue that may give us a lead to why he attacked us" Jace- completely annoyed -sat beside Clary as he watched Will.

"Who do you think you are? Sherlock Holmes?" Will turned to Jace with a raised eyebrow.

"Who is this Mr Holmes whom you are clearly suggesting, is better than me?"

Jace sighed and was about to say something when Magnus cut him off. "Sherlock Holmes didn't exist until 1887 Jace so I don't think they've heard of him" Jace gave Magnus an irritated look who were merely holding Alec's hand as he watched him sleep. Jace was about to open his mouth again when Will spoke over him.

"Still," Jace shot him a glare he ignored, "Mr Holmes is nothing like me. Just bring him out and we can start a brawl to see who is better between us" everyone gave him a scowl which he all ignored. It seems like this one could be just as bad as Jace, Clary thought.

"If you don't stop interrupting me, then I will gladly defeat you in our brawl which I believe we haven't quite finished yet" Will turned around to Jace's words and gave him a dark smile. Everyone stood up to stop them when they heard the sound of doors opening and Will froze.

"The medicine" he whispered and dashed downstairs. Jace followed and so did Tessa and Clary. They got to the kitchen when they saw Maryse and Robert running up to them with a metal box in their hands. Will took it from them in an instant and disappeared upstairs while Tessa ran after him.

"That boy really has some problems in need of sorting out" Robert said and turned to Jace. "He kind of reminds me of you Jace when you were still getting yourself in trouble" Jace snorted and smirked.

"Are you saying that you have all of my problems sorted out?" he narrowed his eyes at him. "You are so wrong on that account" Maryse smiled and sat on a chair, clearly tired.

"Oh deary me" she said and Robert sat next to her while Jace took Clary upstairs to check on Jem. Ever since he had arrived and had that moment, Clary had already wanted to be able to be there for him. He seemed so nice too.

"Jem" Will was shaking Jem awake when they had arrived and Clary saw him open his eyes and sit upright as he reached his hands towards the medicine. Will opened the box and Jem took out a silver powder and put it in his mouth. For a moment, Clary thought that he'll spit the powder out, but he swallowed it and took more absently. Everyone looked at him in pity and Clary knew that Jem must be feeling self-conscious right now, but she thought that maybe it wouldn't matter when you could die.

Jem laid back on his pillow and closed his eyes. Clary could see that he looked less pained now and sighed in relief. "That was kind of emotional wasn't it?" Isabelle said to no one in particular and Clary saw Tessa kneel next to Jem with tears running down her eyes, but it was tears of joy this time.

Suddenly, Clary looked at Will and she almost gasped at what she saw. His face was the one pained this time, but he placed an amused expression over it and teased Tessa. Clary then alternated looks between the three of them- Will, Tessa and Jem -and felt a realization coming on when Maryse and Robert's entrance interrupted her thinking.

Their eyes were wide and they were looking at their son "What happened?" Maryse asked as they went over to Alec and as Magnus moved away. "Is he okay?" she asked Magnus and he nodded. Maryse looked back at Alec while Robert asked Magnus what did happen when they were away.

Magnus went over the event and Robert and Maryse's eyes were wide at the end of Magnus' monologue. "A Nephilim?" Robert asked, clearly astounded by the news and Magnus nodded. Robert looked at Maryse. "We need to tell the Clave about this" he then turned his gaze to their guests. "We will need to tell them about you as well"

Charlotte spoke for them "We understand" Robert nodded and left the room to contact the Clave. Maryse then stood up and asked Isabelle to help her fix some things for their guests while she told the others to go to sleep. Clary looked at Magnus before leaving and he gave her a nod. She knew that she's going to have to tell the others what she did, but she decided to let them rest first. The night had been tiring and horrible enough without her news.

Jace laced her fingers with hers as they walked down hallways in silence and Clary leaned into him. They finally reached his room and stopped by the doorway "What an awful night" she sighed and Jace stroked her hair after wrapping his arms around her.

"I know" she heard something in his voice and looked at his face. It was creased in thought and Clary straightened his eyebrows. He smiled down at her and kissed her.

Clary broke away "What's wrong?" Jace looked down at her and sighed.

"I'm just wondering what Magnus borrowed you for" Clary could tell that that wasn't what was on his mind, but she had to answer him because this was just as important.

"You better prepare yourself because this is going to be a shock" Jace raised his eyebrows.

"Try me" Clary smiled and she licked her lips.

"Alright. Magnus 'borrowed' me because he thinks that I caused all this to happen and I agree with him" Jace opened his mouth to ask something but closed it again and Clary took the opportunity to elaborate. "You see, Isabelle and I found this box in the attic that belonged to the London Institute during the 1800s. We guessed that they owned the contents of the box since it had Will's picture in it and a drawing of burning carriages. I then saw all this stuff and found this inventions book and read it. Then I got to the back page and read this Latin sentence and somehow I revived them using it and this" Clary raised her left arm and showed Jace the rune on her wrist. "Remember it?" he nodded and Clary continued. "You see, Magnus says that maybe I gained extra powers with this alternated rune. That my angelic powers allowed me to raise the dead" Jace looked at her with a pale face and Clary bit her lip in worry. What must he think of me now?

Jace then smiled at her and Clary sighed internally in relief. "What?" she asked.

"I love you Clary" her eyebrows creased.

"Yeah, I know that" Jace laughed.

"No. That's not what I meant" he leaned his forehead against hers. "You see, Will's a Herondale and I finally get my chance even when my ancestor's being a pain"

Clary's mouth was wide open. "What?" So that explains the attitude! she thought then suddenly grinned. She had helped Jace. "Well, I'm happy to help" he kissed her again and he pulled away this time.

His eyes were bright with happiness. "Can I ask you a question?" she nodded and Jace opened his mouth when he suddenly turned his head and frowned. Clary turned too and saw Will leaning against the wall carelessly and smiling at them.

"'Lo there" his grin reminded Clary of Jace's grin and she looked back at Jace who kissed her and bid her goodnight. The door closed and she looked back at Will who was still grinning and, after taking note of the similarities, she left for her room.

A sweet sound made Clary dance under the moonlight. Trees swayed around her and everything was peaceful. She smiled as she closed her eyes and listened to the music. It was rising now and Clary felt her heart beat faster and she opened her eyes as she suddenly found herself gripped by panic. The music still played but her surroundings were replaced by something white in the middle. Clary noticed that it was a Portal, but it was unlike any she had ever seen. Where the Portal was dark and a swirling chaos, this one was silent and white and, somehow, more menacing. Clary reached her hand out and the music rose with the beating of her heart. Finally, her fingers touched the surface and-

Images rose up on Clary and flicked in her mind like how she flicked the pages of the inventions book. She caught glimpses of some of them while some burned in her mind like how a rune would scar you long after you have used it. One of these scars was Jace and Will with white wings that were bloody and battered, their eyes unseeing. Another of these was Tessa, lying on the floor with a pool of blood surrounding her. Clary wanted it to stop, but another image was burned in her mind and it was a scene familiar and foreign to her. Black carriages burning with seven bodies on the ground.

Clary screamed and the images stopped. She looked down and saw herself holding a piece of paper. She read the contents and her eyes widened. Suddenly, she found herself swaying and her vision blurred. She looked up in sheer willpower and saw a woman in front of her. She had white-gold hair and bicoloured eyes. One was honey and one was pitch-black. "Clarissa Morgenstern" she smiled menacingly and she took a seraph blade out and threw it at Clary.

Everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: HEY EVERYONE! I'm BACK! I'm so happy I can start updating again and ShadowhuntingNephilim123, I'm really sorry I didn't get to answer that review of yours. I just found it today and it was also because I was working on a project. I work too hard -.-.  
**

**Still, here it is. Chapter seven and I hope you guys love it and, as you can see, it is long! 8 pages for missing out on three months. I hope it's enough.**

**Oh yeah, I have bad news. Bad news is that, during my 14 day school break, I still have to work on school stuff, but not a lot. Maybe an hour everyday is sufficient time. Although, I'm also doing 4 competitions right now and I have to make three entries over the holidays! I'm busy, but I always have lots of time so don't worry. I'm only saying this because I might update late and you might get worried that I've quit. Don't worry. Another bad news is that I've read the beginning of COFA and there's some parts in the book that don't fit with fanfiction, so I'll have changed some things and it'll be good if you guys can catch up with that, but it's no biggie anyway. It's just about Clary, not knowing a lot of fighting stuff and only skill building things. Also, a reminder! This fanfiction is set after the events of City of Glass and Clockwork Angel. If you've read the books following these, ignore the details in that story! This is between COG and COFA and CA and CP.**

**Sorry for that ultra-long note. Here is chapter seven.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cassandra Clare's fabulous works, the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices.**

* * *

-Chapter seven-

Jace stared at the ceilings of his bedroom as he lay awake in his bed, the morning light warming up his face and making the gold curls that fell over his eyes shine. He had his hands behind his head as he thought about what happened a couple of hours ago and his ancestor.

He smiled again as he recounted their fight. He hadn't liked his ancestor, but he was good.

Jace can only wait in anticipation for their next battle...

Suddenly, a soft tap on the door made his thought train squeal to a stop and look at the door. The knob turned and a short, red-haired girl appeared. Clary.

Jace smiled at her, but his face fell as soon as he saw her expression.

There, Clary stood with the most horrified look on her face. Her face was pale and sweaty and her eyes watery, her lips trembling. "Jace" she managed to gasp out and he rushed to her as she crumpled to the floor.

He held her and shook her, whispering her name in a panicked tone while doing so. Jace was about to call someone when he saw Clary fall back to sleep. Her face looked peaceful and the fear that rose in Jace's chest has calmed. Jace sighed... but wondered what had just happened. "What was that?" he said to himself then picked Clary off the floor and carried her back to her room, glad that she wasn't hurt.

A voice rose in Jace's mind and he pushed it back before he could say something.

He lost and the voice laughed. Yet, Valentine laughed and Jace locked the thought far, far away from him.

Will stared at the busy streets outside. It was all so different to him. Everything buzzed with life in a way unlike London. Everything sparkled too, like Magnus. Well, Magnus Bane has always sparkled to Will, but the world had joined him. _So this is what the future looks like_, Will thought as he recounted what Magnus had told him earlier that morning at the Infirmary after changing into the clothes he was wearing now.

_"2007?" Will asked of the warlock, across from, him incredulously. They were the only ones- except for Jem and Tessa who was sleeping in the bed next to Jem's -who had stayed in the Infirmary. The boy named Alec had been carried to his room. Will let out a short laugh and Magnus smiled. "It's bad enough to be alive, it's even worse to be alive at a different place and time"_

_There must've been something in his voice for Magnus gave him a scowl. "Are you saying you prefer being dead?"_

_"Oh," Will smiled, "it is so peaceful. I feel rather sad for you Magnus. Never could you experience such peace for you could live as long as you desire" he meant his words and Magnus knew that. Will loved that feeling of peace and having nothing to bother him._

_"Is it because you could run away from it all?" Magnus' voice made Will stop in his thoughts and look at him with a frown. Magnus grinned "I haven't forgotten that night you went to me Will. Not even after all this years"_

_Will smiled in an unfriendly way at Magnus. "I suppose you've dropped off my search for that stupid demon." Magnus nodded. A question suddenly formulated in his mind and when he spoke it aloud, his words were hopeful, "D-do you think it's gone?"_

_"I don't know, Will," the warlock sighed. "To tell you the truth, I highly doubt your curse is even true." Will's eyes widened._

Could it be true?_ He asked himself. After a few moments of staring at his feet, he looked at Magnus. "Do you think so?" His own voice sounded far away._

_"How about a fifty-percent chance?" Magnus said with a tinge of happiness, but that was not good enough for him. "Oh, come on." He groaned as the boy shook his head. _

_"I have to be sure. I do not want to make mistakes. Not when there is so much at stake." He whispered fiercely and Magnus threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. Meanwhile, familiar faces flashed before his eyes. It hurt him every time he saw those faces who looked upon him with pity and to only flinch back with hurt. _It's back to hurting and damaging the Herondale name_, he thought._

_Will sighed heavily, looked at the warlock and studied him. He wore his hair in a most peculiar way and it was as if it was peppered with diamonds. His clothes has changed too with the time. But what surprised Will the most was his friendliness to the Shadowhunters, especially to Alec. It was still Magnus though, but Will can't stop raising an eyebrow at his hair. "What?"_

_"Will I have to wear my hair like yours to fit into this world?" He asked, his own dramas pushed to the back of his mind temporarily. Magnus laughed and looked back at the window beside him that was covered by curtains. Magnus beckoned him to come as he started pulling away the curtain. Will went to the warlock as he drew back the curtains fully and revealed the world outside._

_Lights of different colours were everywhere and what looked like carriages without the horses piled up roads. The noise could be heard from where Will was and he frowned at it. It was all these buzzing noises. People of all shape, sizes and colours walked, ran and jogged on the pavements and entered and exited the buildings. It was all a lot to take in. Will turned to Magnus "I don't see how this'll help me charm ladies in this century Magnus. In fact, I wouldn't want to if I have to wear my hair in such a ridiculous way"_

_Magnus smirked. "Oh you don't have to. I'm sure your manners are enough to charm them and I showed you this so you can get a good idea at where you are now. Everyone's just as rude as you now Will"_

_Will laughed. "We'll see"_

He turned around and away from New York City to look at Tessa. She was still sleeping peacefully, a small smile adorned her face. She was wearing what seemed like a white dress with a blue jacket made from a rough material and brown boots that were soft and you had to tie up. Will suddenly remembered the night of their deaths and how he had stared into her eyes, feeling as if he fell into a pit that dragged him further down than he thought. He felt numb then and it had prepared him for his death. His death that he deserved.

A movement made his eyes turn to Jem and his face lit up as he saw his friend move his head and crease his eyebrows. Will was thankful that he had survived. Jem has been a great friend to him despite how he treated him at times.

His eyes opened and Will walked towards the end of his bed as Jem looked around. He soon found Will and smiled. "I didn't think I would live" he whispered with a smile.

"Neither did I" Will smiled. "But you did and that's all that matters" Jem grinned now and he started to get up. "Don't-" Will was about to stop him when Jem put up a hand and he stopped in his tracks.

"I'm alright" he sat upright and looked to his right. "Oh" he looked at Tessa. "Has she been waiting for me to wake up?"

"Yes" Will didn't know why he had been so honest with not even a trace of insult in the word. He decided to forget it and look at Jem. He couldn't see the other boy's face and it made Will clench his fists in frustration. _Is it admiration Jem?_ Will could hear himself growl inside. He had that suspicion that Jem was falling for Tessa. He thought it was because he started taking her around more often when they were still in London. However, those were merely suspicions.

But what Jem had done a couple of hours ago confirmed his theories. He had tried to stop his screams for her. He even took the effort to say her name.

Will looked at his feet to stop his anger. It was not helpful right now. "Will..." Will calmed down in an instant and wondered why. "Will..." he looked up to see Tessa's mouth open. She was the one that made him calm and Will felt a sort of elation to see her whisper his name in her sleep.

"I rather think she's having a nightmare about you" Jem said jokingly and Will was more surprised by his words rather than annoyed. Jem hardly did that.

_Well_, Will thought, _he hardly says girls are pretty too_. "Poor girl" he said in mock-horror and soon after that, Tessa's eyes flickered open. She looked to nowhere for a moment, then found her way to Jem.

Exactly like what Will could see in the future.

Her face lit up "Jem!" she started to get off, but her feet got tangled in the blankets and she fell off the bed. Will dashed to her side in an instant. "Ow" she whimpered as he helped her up.

"Are you alright?" the boys both asked in unison. Tessa nodded as she sat on the bed, clutching her arm.

"It would go away" she reassured them as Will moved back to give her space. After all, there is good chance that she still hates him. She looked up at Jem who was smiling at her. "I'm so happy you're alright"

Jem frowned and Will thought that he must have been remembering what happened a couple of hours ago "You needn't cry over me Tessa" he said softly and Tessa stood up. "Tessa..." her eyes were watery, but the tears didn't fall over.

"Of course I should" she said in a shaky voice. "I did this Jem. Everything. I got you and everybody killed and then you started-"

"It wasn't your fault" Jem interrupted her. He was about to say something when Tessa cut him off.

"But it is!" she fell back to the bed and placed her face in her hands. "It's always me! I-"

"Tessa" Jem's voice was firm and Will was surprised. Never had Jem been like this. "That's enough. I don't want you drowning yourself in guilt because of me or anyone else" Tessa lifted her head and Will noticed her tears had fallen. She wiped them away and said nothing else and none of them said anything for a while.

Will couldn't bear the silence any longer "Honestly," they both turned to him, "could we really worry about this now? When we were raised from the dead? I think there is more fear in that!" Jem smiled at him.

"I do believe I have missed out on a lot of things" Jem looked around.

"Oh you don't know how much!" Will exclaimed as he sat at the foot of his bed. "First and foremost, there is this boy that is really getting on my nerves. I swear that if they had let us fight longer, I would have killed him, but they didn't" Jem ignored this and Will frowned. He glanced at Tessa and Will felt the anger rise in his chest again. Not now, he told himself as the anger disappeared again only to come back when he saw Jem holding Tessa's hand.

"What happened?" he asked as he inspected it. Will's hands clenched and it took all his strength to stop him from doing something horrible.

"I..." Tessa trailed off and Will took the opportunity to talk.

"She punched a Shadowhunter" Jem laughed as he let go of her hand and Will's hands relaxed. He wondered whether he had to control himself every time Jem gets close to Tessa. Tessa blushed and it only made Will even more attracted to her.

The door opened and the three of them looked towards the doorway to see Sophie standing at the entrance. "Master Jem" she smiled and Will frowned. He knew that she's in love with Jem, but Thomas had admired Sophie and it made Will dislike the girl for not noticing Thomas. Sophie was about to walk to them, but stopped in her tracks. She bowed her head "I am glad that you have awoken" she smiled and Jem thanked her. Will could see her blush from where he was.

"Jem?" a familiar voice said behind Sophie and Charlotte appeared with Henry behind her. Once again, Jessamine was nowhere to be found.

Selfish girl, Will thought as Charlotte and Henry smiled at Jem.

"You're alright!" Charlotte exclaimed as she half-walked and half-ran towards Jem with Henry and Sophie right behind her. Will suddenly remembered when she had chosen to leave Jem last night and frowned. He had been unfair to everyone before and hadn't thought right. She knew Charlotte's reasons for leaving, but he just couldn't concentrate then.

But Charlotte can and Will smiled as he remembered how she had made him obey her. It must've been a big shock to everyone, he watched as Jem laughed.

"Dear me" Jem sighed as he looked at them. "I am glad to belong to this family" they all lapsed into silence, but this time it was much more peaceful.

Suddenly, a sharp knocking sound made them turn their heads and Will saw the woman that resembled Isabelle, but only in a much more adult-like body. "I'm sorry" she said with an apologetic smile. "I just came in to say that a small breakfast has been prepared in the sitting room and that I have news from the Clave"

"Clary..." Jace started as they walked down the Institute hallways towards the sitting room where Maryse had planned to tell them what the Clave has told her. He still remembered when Clary collapsed that morning and when she woke up a couple of minutes later, she was surprised to see Jace at the foot of her bed.

He wanted to tell Clary what happened then, but Isabelle arrived with the news and Jace had to leave. He can ask her now, but he suddenly felt uneasy about it. As if it would be better that things were forgotten. "Jace?" her voice brought him back to the present and he gave her a smile. "You were saying something?"

Jace decided to keep the memory to himself. Things were already going wrong. "I just wanted to ask you my question last night" something flashed in Clary's eyes and Jace knew that she knew he was lying.

But she didn't press on the matter. "Sure"

Jace smiled as he took her hand and as they descended the stairs. "Is there a side effect of what you did?" he did worry about that though.

Clary seemed to think about her answer and Jace worried if she was hiding something from him, but before he could say something, she spoke. "Magnus hadn't said anything, but if there was a side effect, he would have already told me" she gave him a reassuring smile and Jace found no reassurance in it at all.

He would have said something, but they had reached the sitting room now and Jace found out that everybody had gathered already. Even Magnus was there, but Jace then thought that maybe he had stayed for Alec. After all, Magnus was still wearing the clothes he had on when he arrived. "Jace, Clary" Robert said while standing beside Maryse who was sitting down on the couch closest to the fireplace. The sitting room had a fireplace to the right and a single arched window at the back wall. The walls of the room were bare except for a mirror on the left wall and the tapestries that told of their legends and three couches faced the fireplace and in the middle of the room- at the center of the red couches -was a circular coffee table with a silver tray of tea and coffee and biscuits.

"That's not breakfast" Jace glared at the biscuits as he just realized how hungry he was. Maybe he'll eat something from Taki's later.

"Well I can't make pancakes during a time like this can't I?" Isabelle said beside her mother. She was sitting down too while Magnus and Alec- Jace was happy to see him alright now -stood behind the couch. Jace shrugged and went over to them.

Clary sat down next to Isabelle while Jace stood behind her. He looked at the group of people in front of him and saw the girl named Tessa sitting next to the silver-haired boy. Jem looked much better now and Jace felt relief. He remembered when he screamed last night and it wasn't a pretty memory. Jessamine was at Tessa's other side while Will stood behind them. Jessamine looked morosely at the tea in her hands, a scowl on her face, and Will simply looked attentive. Jace caught his eyes and he grinned at him. Jace could tell what was on his mind and grinned back at him while noticing the way they reflected each other.

Jace broke his gaze from him and looked at the last couch and saw Charlotte and Sophie occupying it while Henry stood next to Charlotte. The boy looked back at the table and realized that only Jessamine had taken something. "So," Robert cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "The Clave has told me and my wife that they will need you to come with us to Idris. They're really curious as to how you..." Robert trailed off.

"Isn't everyone" Will said with an amused smile. He then turned to Charlotte. "Well?"

"We have to go" Charlotte said and Jace suddenly realized that all the decisions came from her and not from Henry. Naturally, it would be the man to speak at times like this- especially from what time they came from -but Charlotte had taken the responsibility and it made Jace wonder why Henry rarely had a voice in matters such as these. Or maybe why he didn't want to.

Charlotte sighed. "I just wish that we could at least know why this happened to us just in case the Clave themselves will ask us the question which is most likely the reason they want to see us" something moved at the corner of Jace's vision and he glanced at where it came from and was surprised to see Clary looking at Magnus. Jace looked at the warlock and he gave her a nod. As Jace was wondering what they were telling each other, Clary stood up and he realized what it was for.

"I did it" everyone- except Isabelle, Magnus and Jace -looked at Clary in shock. The girl looked at her feet as Will started laughing. Jace wanted to punch him then, but he didn't want things to go bad in the middle of Clary's explanation. It was in every way disrespectful to her and Jace didn't want to treat her like that.

"You?" Will asked in an incredulous tone.

"Why do you find that so hard to believe?" Clary asked as she glared at him. "In fact, you haven't even heard the entire story" Jace smiled at the hostility in her voice.

Will smiled and Charlotte shot him a stern look before turning back to Clary. "I apologize on behalf of his behaviour" she smiled at Clary. "What is it that you were saying?" she looked at Clary expectantly and everyone else seemed to do so, even Will.

Clary took a deep breath in and began to tell them what she had told him earlier that day. No one interrupted her and Jace thought that she was like a word vampire for they became more pale the more she talked. In the end, there was a long silence as everyone stared at Clary.

Will broke the silence "Henry's inventions notebook?" he turned to the ginger-haired man and Henry looked at his feet.

"I found the spell at a warlock's house when we went there to arrest him" he smiled sheepishly. "_O has fessas, ea perficere ex fine. O has fessas, veniant ad vitam iterum. O has fessas, ea perficere ex fine. O has fessas, da alter locus_. It's Latin and it means 'Oh these weary souls, let them finish their goals. Oh these weary souls, let them come to life once again. Oh these weary souls, let them finish their goals. Oh these weary souls, give them a second chance'" Henry frowned at the carpeted floor. "I didn't know what to use it for, but I thought it was interesting. It turns out it did have a use after all" Henry trailed off and everyone lapsed into silence once again.

Maryse then stood up and faced Clary "I'm afraid you're going to have to come with us Clary" Clary nodded and Jace stared at his adopted mother in horror.

"You can't take her to the Clave!" he yelled and Isabelle flinched. His fists were clenched and Jace could tell that he needed to control himself, but he can't. He still didn't like the Clave. "They might do something-"

"Jace" Maryse cut him off. "You need to start trusting the Clave"

"She's right" Robert said before he could protest. "We'll make sure that they won't have anything to do with Clary"

Jace was still unconvinced. Even after everything that had happened since Valentine, the Clave was still the Clave. They would still take interest in Clary. "It's alright Jace" he looked at her and she smiled at him. "If it helps, you can come with me"

That was good enough for him. Jace saw Maryse and Robert nod and he relaxed instantly. "So it's settled then" Robert spoke as Clary sat down. "We're going to Idris, but we need some of us to stay to watch over the Institute" he looked at Isabelle and Alec and they gave their father a nod.

Suddenly, Jessamine stood up, the white dress that Isabelle gave her swirled around her. "I want to stay" Robert raised his eyebrows at her. "I don't want to go" she set her chin indignantly.

"But Jessie," Charlotte started, "we, including you, have to go. It's the orders" Jessamine glared at her.

"I don't care!" she yelled. "I hate the Clave! I hate everything about being a Shadowhunter!" with that, she put the tea back on the tray with a clatter and stormed out of the room. Charlotte looked at her as she left with a pitying frown and Jace snorted inwardly. He has heard that, back then, it wasn't compulsory to train being a Shadowhunter and Jessamine must've taken that route.

Charlotte sighed as Maryse smiled at her. "Also, the Clave told me to interrogate the Nephilim we encountered earlier this morning while they're deciding on when we're meeting them" Maryse said as she reached for a coffee.

"I'd hardly call him Nephilim myself after what happened" Will hissed and Charlotte gave him a warning look which the boy ignored. Jace smiled. He was just as stubborn as him. "Nevertheless, I do believe that we need to interrogate him" he looked at all of them. "Now"

Everyone agreed and Jem looked behind him and at Will. Jace noticed that he had changed into a white button-up shirt with a grey jacket over it and jeans. "Is he the one that Tessa had punched?" the girl suddenly blushed beside him and Will smiled.

"Yes. I do believe that our dear Tessa is finally understanding how things work" he smiled at her and she looked away.

Jem looked at her with a smile too "In that case, I'm coming with you" he looked back at Will. "I'm rather curious as to what happened to his face"

He waited outside the traitor's holding room with Jem while waiting for Magnus, the boy named Jace- whom he loathed -and Robert to arrive. He didn't want Jem to come, but the boy had insisted on it. "Why do you think he went here alone?" he asked Will and the boy shrugged.

"Maybe he thinks he could take on the lot of us, but no!" Will raised his chin proudly. "Will Herondale is present at the time and he has faced certain defeat"

"From what I've heard, it was Tessa and that girl named Isabelle Lightwood that rocked him back and forth" Will glared at Jem and he just ignored him. He was about to say something when he had a realization.

"Lightwood?" Will asked Jem in disbelief. She was a Lightwood. He laughed "I can't believe it! Gabriel's descendants?" he snorted. "They sure are better than the slime" he thought the girl was rather friendly, but she could still be quite rude. But her brother, Alec Lightwood- as Magnus has told him -was more of a sullen character.

Suddenly, Magnus Bane rounded the corner and Jem smiled at him then looked at his attire. "I know. It's different" Magnus said with an impatient sigh as Jace appeared.

"What's different?" his question made Will laugh in amusement which earned him a glare form the golden-haired boy.

Jace was about to speak when Magnus cut him off "I'll explain later" Will frowned. He had wanted to start their fight again. The boy was good, almost as good as him, and it made the blue-eyed boy itch for a fight.

Robert Lightwood rounded the corner and Will got himself off the wall as he turned the knob. The door opened with a creak and he looked inside and saw the man lying on the floor with their backs to them, binding runes circling his arms. Light filtering from the window shone on him, illuminating dust at the same time. Will saw the man move slightly as he walked in, adding emphasis on his footsteps to further frighten the man. Jem came in after him and stood beside the bed at the man's head. Will placed himself across from him as Magnus and Jace came in with Robert.

Silence.

Robert Lightwood cleared his throat "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" the man had not answered and Will looked down at his face. His eyes were open and he could see that set of bicoloured eyes of his. Brown and blue. "I suppose we could start asking questions"

"Why did you attack us?" Jace asked before Robert could and he gave the boy a stern look. The man refused to reply once again and Will could feel the tension in the air. "So that's how you're going to act" Jace reached into his jacket pocket and was about to take out something when Magnus stopped him.

"That won't help Jace" he told him as he looked down at the man. Magnus raised his hands, palms towards the man and closed his eyes. Blue sparks surrounded the man in an instant and Will wondered what Magnus was doing. He wasn't torturing him because the man wasn't screaming but the man was starting to shift.

"What are you doing Mangus?" Jem asked then Magnus dropped his arms and the sparks floated to the floor and disappeared. Will looked at the warlock and noticed that there was a murderous look on his face, similar to the one he wore when the man appeared earlier that day.

"I'm just confirming that a warlock spell is protecting him" Robert turned to the sparkling man with a frown.

"Are you saying that a warlock is working with him?" he asked and Magnus nodded.

The warlock's eyes were filled with rage at- what Will thought -betrayal. "It was a theory, but it seems as if I'm right"

"Do you know the warlock?" Jace asked and Magnus nodded and shook his head.

"Yes and no" Will raised an eyebrow and Magnus smiled at him. "The signature is blurred, but I have an idea. However, I need to be certain because I could cause havoc if I just barge in a warlock's place" he turned back to the others. "I am the High Warlock of Brooklyn after all. I'm like the president and if I attack my insignificant little citizens, they'll conspire against me. Kind of like how the French rebelled against the aristocrats"

Will and Jace snorted at the same time and they both looked at each other in annoyance. "Yes Magnus" Will said as he broke his gaze from Jace. "You are a man with a white puffy wig and wear powder and red paint on your lips and you walk around showing everybody how fearsome you are"

"Don't you mean make-up and lipstick?" Jace asked him.

Will glared. "My knowledge about your world may seem small, but at least I could still fight like a lion" Will smiled at him and Jem cleared his throat.

"So you need to be sure?" he asked and Magnus nodded. Robert sighed and said that he understand. Will was annoyed.

"The only way we can answer our questions is to do something!" he exclaimed and everyone ignored him.

Everyone except Jace.

"He's right" Will's mouth almost- almost -dropped at what the boy said. "We can't just stand around" he looked at Magnus. "Can't you find a loophole?"

"I suppose I can" Magnus pursed his lips. Will smiled and looked at Jace. The boy was looking at the man on the ground and Will thought how he was like him. _Who are you?_ he asked himself as Robert spoke up.

"It seems as if we can't make him speak" he gestured to the man and Will was about to suggest torture when the man laughed madly.

"You can never make me speak" he croaked and Will wanted to kick him again. He laughed like a lunatic again and Robert urned around.

"I'll call the Clave" he said as he left and Will was about to try again when Magnus took his arm and led him outside.

"I haven't even said anything yet" he said over the man's laughter and as Jem and Jace followed and closed the door.

"Remember!" he yelled after them, his voice still audible with the closed door and as they descended the stairs. "You will all bow down to us!"

"At least we know one thing" Jem said as they reached the landing. "They want something and they're going to do their best to get what they want"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: YAY! I finished a chapter in a day! It's not long though, but it is an important chapter (well, at least I think it is) and I have to work around my responsibilities. Besides, after this chapter, things will start to develop and I'm willing to make them funnier as well! **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices. All rights go to the wonderful Cassandra Clare. **

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-Chapter eight-

"Will you two just shut up!" Magnus yelled at them as they descended the stairs. Jace had just been fighting with Will on the subject of what the man- and the group he was in -wanted. "This is exactly why I am not happy with this situation. So many personality clashes..." Magnus trailed off as they made it to the landing.

Jace ignored him. "I'm just offering my theories," he looked towards Will who was on Magnus' other side, "while he just contradicts them. How can you say that I was wrong? It's the perfect explanation!"

"It is because it does not fit with the evidence! You, of all the most pathetic men I have met in my entire life, are the worst and most incompetent. You cannot even piece together the simplest of things!" Jace did not take his reply kindly and retorted with his own insult.

"Well, at least they had not begun a fight" Jace heard Jem whisper to the warlock. "Putting on that spell deterred something worse. Nice work Magnus"

Magnus lightened at that and grinned at Jem as they entered the kitchen. It did work and Jace was none too happy about it. He wanted to test Will Herondale's strength, not to have an argument with him. That was why he began the argument, just so it could get worse. He wondered when the sparks surrounding his hand would disappear.

"Yes," Will began as he glared at Jem who- once again -ignored him, "very wonderful Magnus" Magnus shook his head and greeted the people in the kitchen. Everyone- except for Robert, Maryse, Charlotte and Henry who was probably talking about adult Shadowhunter stuff -was there. Even the selfish girl, Jessamine, who stared morosely at what was in front of her. It seemed to be Chinese take-out this time.

"What," Jessamine said in a sort of controlled anger, "in the world is this mess?" it was noodles with stir-fry. Very nice in Jace's opinion, but probably not to a spoiled girl from Victorian London. Jessamine looked up at Isabelle which gave her a scowl. "Please do tell me that this is edible" It seemed as if Isabelle gave their guests Chinese take-away. Jace saw the other two girls, Sophie and Tessa with their take-outs finished.

At that moment, he looked back at Tessa. Shapeshifter. That was what they called her. Jace has heard of many things in the Shadow World, but he has never met a shapeshifter. He suddenly found himself hoping that he could see her special ability while they were in New York.

"Of course it is!" Isabelle's voice snapped Jace out of his thoughts and he noticed how Isabelle's hand seemed to be reaching towards the knife next to it... "Look, just eat it okay?"

"I'd rather have that thing you call 'tea'" the blonde-haired girl said as she pushed the noodles away and set her chin in a stubborn manner. Isabelle's murderous expression made Jace want to laugh, but now was not the right time.

However, it did make Clary laugh and with that, Jace sat on the seat next to her. "Oh, hey" she smiled at him and- once again -Jace remembered what happened that morning, but he pushed it all back. "What happened?"

Everyone took their own seats. Will on one side of Tessa- and farthest away from Jace -and Jem on her other side while Magnus stood next to Alec who was also standing. "Robert's going to call the Clave and we have also found out that the man _is_ working with a warlock and that this is not the end"

Clary frowned at the news. "It seems as if the madness would never stop"

Jace smiled at her "But that only makes things more interesting" Clary rolled her eyes, but she knew that he didn't mean that and that he was only trying to make her happy.

It hadn't worked though and Jace caught Will's smirk at the other end of the counter. _Why you..._ he really had no patience for him sometimes. _Although_, Jace smiled inwardly, _I bet everyone feels like this when I annoy them_.

Jace truly smiled this time. "Ah" he looked up to see Isabelle handing Will and Jem their 'breakfast'. She also handed Jace's to him and Magnus took his by making it float in the air. "I miss this" it was Jem and Jace deducted that since Jem looked slightly Asian, it must mean that he is Asian and has tried this even if he was from Victorian London.

He said something in Chinese and ate the noodles wholeheartedly. "James, please don't tell me that these are the type of things you eat when you were in Shanghai" Will told Jem while looking at his food with uncertainty, but looked ready to eat it.

Jem smiled "All I need are chopsticks and I'm sure I can imagine myself being back in China" Isabelle then rummaged around the drawers and took out a pair of chopsticks which Jem took with a 'thanks'.

The boy then started eating with the chopsticks which Tessa found interesting. "However do you do that Jem? It looks rather complicated!" Will smirked and she glared at him. "And I suppose your next lines are something like 'It is so simple Tessa!'"

Will took that as a challenge as he demanded a pair of chopsticks from Isabelle. The girl gave it to him with a scowl and, soon, Will started eating the noodles with the chopsticks with little adversity that made it look like he'd been able to do it since he was born. Jace also couldn't help but notice that the sparks was gone from his hands and so was his. He was itching for a fight now.

Tessa ignored Will as he smiled boastfully. "It is so simple Tessa" it seemed as if the girl was starting to blush when Will turned to Jace. "How about you? Have _you_ mastered the art of using this infernal device?"

Jace laughed as Isabelle willingly pushed a pair of chopsticks to him and he picked them up and twirled them between his fingers. Both sticks at the same time. He then dug into his noodles with his chopsticks which he used expertly.

The golden boy looked back at Will- who was glaring at him -and Jace could only just smile back in victory. Still, there was that feeling in the back of his head that he couldn't ignore. It was that feeling that was pointing out his similarities with Will and how he was doing what he had just done a couple of seconds ago.

Suddenly, a soft _meow_ came out of nowhere and Church the cat bounced on top of the counter and sat in front of Jem. Jessamine squealed at the cat while Will, Sophie and Tessa stared at the cat in surprise. "Church" Jem said in surprise as well and he reached out to stroke the cat, as if he knew it.

"You know Church?" Clary asked Jem. It was the first time she spoke since Jace tried to cheer her up.

Jem nodded. However, his actions seemed rather sad and his silver eyes stared to nowhere. As if he could see something that Jace couldn't, which must be the case. "I found Church in an old building one night with Will..."

"Y-you found Church?" Alec gaped. It was his first time to speak as well.

"That's not normal for a cat" Clary said to no one in particular and Jem smiled at her while Will- as Jace noticed -was looking down at his food with his tousled black hair covering his eyes. Jace did not know what was wrong, but he wasn't so sure he wanted to know either.

Whatever happened in the past with these people, was the past.

"Perhaps he had lived long because of the side effects of what this warlock did to him. She planned to sacrifice him for a necromantic spell casting" Jem answered Clary's question and the girl nodded. Although, Jace noticed that Jem was holding back on something.

However, he did not choose to ask him for he didn't want to get into anyone's business and there didn't seem to be anything in it- whatever it is -that would _really_ interest him.

For what seemed like a minute, everyone was quiet.

Until Isabelle slammed her hand on the counter and made Sophie jump. "Why the long faces?" she scowled at everyone as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Come on! We should do something fun! I know!" her eyes brightened, yet Jace knew there was still something behind them.

_What's wrong Izzy?_ he thought.

"We should take our guests around and show them the new world!" Isabelle threw her hands in the air in excitement and everyone looked at her as if she was speaking an alien language.

Everyone except Jessamine.

"That is a great idea!" she smiled and it seemed to be her first smile and it looked absolutely genuine. "I had my doubts on you, but it seems as if I was wrong" she smiled and clapped her hands together while Isabelle's hand twitched towards the knife again.

"Oh, well" Magnus said behind them. "I guess we should let them start to get into terms with the present" Magnus looked at Will and smiled and the boy smiled back. "Get a piece of paper Isabelle, I'll assign teams. Oooh! This is like in that show, _Amazing Race_!" Magnus looked more enthusiastic.

"How in the world is this like _Amazing Race_?" Clary asked Magnus while Jace himself had no idea what _Amazing Race_ was.

Magnus gave her a dismissive hand as he took the pen and paper from Isabelle and wrote down names. "Since I know all of you people...," his hand flew across the paper, "... I should know which person is best with whom"

They waited for Magnus and soon enough he held up the paper and read aloud who's going with who. "Okay! Isabelle, you're going with Miss Lovelace" Isabelle looked like she was about to explode while Jessamine jumped up and down.

"A woman with a sense of style! Good!" Jessamine smiled.

"Next would be me and darling Alec with Will and Jem" Magnus took Alec by the arm and put his free arm across Alec's shoulder. Will and Jem stared at Magnus, Jem with more incredulity than Will. "And finally Jace and Clary can show around Sophie and Tessa" Magnus smiled at Jace. "Sorry I had to keep you with the girls, but at least you're with Clary" Magnus smiled as he started to lead Will, Jem and Alec towards the doors of the Institute.

"We haven't finished eating yet" Jem pointed out while Isabelle got dragged by Jessamine, the knife that was beside her now on her thigh sheath.

Clary moved next to Jace as Tessa smiled at Sophie and looked at them. "Where do you think we should take them?"

Jace had absolutely no idea. "I don't really know" he then saw a movement at the corner of his eye and he looked towards it.

It was Church the cat and he had a pair of chopsticks between his mouth as he stalked away.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks for the views guys! Thank you for supporting this story and for Greennight, thanks for your review and, actually, I didn't plan for Jessamine and Isabelle to go shopping, but I read your review and thought that it's a good idea and put it in. Thank you so much! I haven't made Jem and Will go to Chinatown yet though because I have something big that will happen in Chinatown when I was on the planning stage for this fanfiction. **

**Oops! Gave away a spoiler! ;P**

**By now, I bet you'd be expecting me to update everyday and that is my plan. However, I might fail because everything is about to start getting more exciting and I need to spend more time thinking. So the chapter after this one might not appear until Saturday. I'll try really hard to get it in by tomorrow, but it is highly unlikely.**

**I'm truly sorry guys.**

**I hope this chapter makes you happy in replace for this bad news.**

**Also, Maryse and Robert sound terrible in this chapter because I kept remembering their moods in COFA and I think it's just right I put it in. I would also like to say sorry in advance in case you find some parts of this chapter offensive. I'm just writing what I think the character would say. There is also the problem with history and I'm sorry if I'm inaccurate in any of these. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments series or the Infernal Devices. It is all owned by Cassandra Clare. Fabulous person.**

* * *

-Chapter nine-

Charlotte sighed in surrender.

They were in the room they were in before and Maryse and herself were sitting down on one of the couches. Henry and Robert were standing up by the coffee table and Henry had been asking Robert Lightwood about the advancements in technology and he instantly went berserk when he saw what they called a 'cell phone'. "This!" Henry couldn't stop gawking at the small device that the new world used as a form of communication. It was rather astonishing, of course, but Charlotte thought that Henry was taking it a step too far. He started taking it apart- with permission from Robert -and gawked at the flat green things contained in the 'cell phone'. It shone as if there was metal printed on it and Henry just couldn't take his eyes away from it.

Still though, Henry's expression made Charlotte happy. He looked like a child who had found his favourite toy and just couldn't let go of it. And that was why she left him alone and endured his constant comments of 'amazing' and 'I wonder...'

Charlotte turned back to Maryse Lightwood who was looking down at her glass of red wine with a sorrowful look. Her eyes looked tired and it looked as if she had been crying. The skin above her cheekbones looked like it was about to break.

The woman couldn't help but notice the same of Robert Lightwood who was now using his wife's phone to call the Clave. She had started to wonder what happened, but dismissed it. It was not her business and she really shouldn't think about it.

She looked back at Maryse and wondered if she should say something.

"Thank you" Charlotte said and Maryse looked up at her in surprise, but her face held the same tiredness. "Thank you for everything. We must be of great burden to you"

Maryse waved her concern off. "It's okay. It is our duty to help others of our kind. We have to be there for each other..." she trailed off as she looked at the ground and Charlotte instantly worried if she had caused Maryse to think of something unpleasant.

It was always like this for her. It was hard to get along with people and speak out when you were a woman. Back in London, she would constantly be judged by the other Shadowhunters but she kept going on. She had to. For everyone.

However, it seemed as if Shadowhunter women during these times _did_ have a say. "Maryse?" Charlotte looked at the woman who looked at her again while taking a sip of her wine. Charlotte found her exactly like her daughter except that her daughter seemed a bit more active than her. Or maybe that was because of something else that affected Maryse's mood. "Do you mind if I ask what had changed? It is because I would just like to know so we can prepare for ourselves for meeting the Clave"

Maryse looked up at the ceiling. "There had been big changes lately. For one thing, there is a representative for every group of Downworlders now as part of the Accords" Charlotte was surprised to hear this. It seemed the trust between Nephilim and Downworlders has grown. "It is because of one of our recent wars. It's a long story, but in short, one of our kind betrayed us and he waged a war to throw the Clave and make us his slaves. You know that girl with the red hair?" Maryse asked Charlotte and she nodded. "She saved us"

"Now that's amazing" it was Henry and Charlotte was surprised to hear him say something. She looked towards Henry to find Robert gone- probably to consult the Clave once again -and Henry was bent over the 'cell phone' and was tinkering with it. "How did she do it?" he turned to them, his glasses glinting against the light of the fire cracking at the fireplace.

"She killed him and, besides, Clary's special" Maryse took another sip of her wine. "She can create new runes and one of her runes allowed us to defeat the traitor's demon army" now Charlotte was truly astonished. A Nephilim that can create new runes?

"We missed out on a lot" Charlotte breathed as she heard something ominous in front of her that was mixed with Henry's swear.

She looked up to find Henry's sleeve on fire and her husband in a frantic state as he tried to put it out. Charlotte turned back to Maryse and took the red wine out of her hand and rushed to Henry. She splashed the red wine at him, but it only flamed more and Henry took one more effort to put the fire out and successfully did this time. "I'm sorry dear" Charlotte said and Henry only smiled at her.

"That's alright Charlotte" he pushed up his glasses and looked down at the 'cell phone'. "It was my fault" the 'cell phone' was emitting smoke- as Charlotte just noticed -and Henry seemed to have broken it. "I had no idea it would do that"

"You should be sorry for wasting perfectly good wine though" Maryse told her and Charlotte smiled sheepishly, a high colour spreading on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Maryse" she apologised. Once again, the woman waved it off.

Robert suddenly came in the room and stopped to stare at the 'cell phone' and Henry's burnt shirt. He also noticed the wine spill. "I'm not going to ask"

Charlotte couldn't help but give Henry a glare.

"I cannot believe it!" Jessamine complained for what seemed to be the thousandth time. They were at Macy's as Jessamine wanted to shop for dresses and it seemed to be the only thing they both wanted. "Why are they so short? Where are the assistants to help in the dress fitting? Are they not supposed to help us out instead of standing behind those counters and touching those odd square things..." Jessamine turned to Isabelle who was trying all her might to not slaughter the girl.

_Why did Magnus give her to me? Alec is so going to get a beating about his boyfriend_ "Look" Isabelle sighed. "There is no such thing as a servant anymore okay? Also, no one wears super long dresses- aside from you and me -anymore. This is the new world Jessamine"

"But why!" the girl practically screamed and Isabelle looked around her as people looked at them weirdly. "With this," she gestured to the black mini-dress, "I can never stand staring at myself. Don't they feel so... so bare?"

"You should look at the bikini section" Isabelle mumbled and Jessamine just kept pouting at the mini-dress. Isabelle was about to offer her the idea of going home and do something else when she heard a mundane swear loudly. She looked towards it and saw a girl with long black hair in black boots and tights, a denim mini-skirt and a red jacket complaining to the cashier. Isabelle wondered if it was one of those problems were the mundane buys too much and she had already given her credit card, realising just how much she spent. _Idiots_ Isabelle thought inside.

Jessamine gasped beside Isabelle. "I cannot believe that a lady would swear!" the girl said rather loudly and the girl at the cashier turned to them and gave Jessamine a murderous look.

_Shoot_, Isabelle thought as she tugged on Jessamine and started heading to the exit. Her parents wouldn't like it if they got into a fight with the mundanes.

"Let go!" Jessamine yelled at her as they left and crossed her arms in front of her.

Isabelle can't take it anymore. "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO ME?" she pointed to Jessamine who was shocked at her explosion. "WHY YOU?"

Jessamine looked at her with the same expression. "You should be happy you are with me! Imagine if you were with the others! Imagine how much pain you'd be going through! At least_ I_ understand that ladies need time to stroll in the park and go out and buy nice dresses for themselves to impress men. At least _I_ act normal"

"Well at least they aren't selfish brats!" Isabelle screamed at her and Jessamine looked like she'd been slapped in the face. Isabelle instantly regretted what she said, but she still felt sour towards Jessamine. _Well, who could stand this girl?_ Isabelle sighed and headed towards the subway station. "Come on" she looked back at Jessamine who stood frozen on the spot. "Let's go" she turned back and started walking away, her high-heels clacking while avoiding the stares of the mundanes.

Isabelle didn't need to look back to know that Jessamine was following her.

And that she was crying.

Deep inside her, Isabelle felt pity towards the girl. But she knew it was not yet time to say sorry and for her to _feel_ sorry.

_Welcome to New York..._

After they finished their 'breakfast', Magnus, with Alec, took Will and Jem outside and around the corner to take a short glimpse of New York. He had told them that they were not ready for it yet- even if he had already showed it to Will before -and that he would show them what MTV and _Gilligan's Island_ was first.

"MTV?" Will asked as they sat on one of the sitting rooms of the Institute. The room looked identical to the one they were in when the girl named Clary spoke of her ability to raise them from the dead. It really surprised Will. She was so small yet she was capable of great things.

"Yes" Magnus wiggled his fingers and- all of a sudden -there was an odd black, thin, box sitting in front of them and- a second later -there was a bright light of different colours emanating from the box and it seemed like people in the oddest of clothes that danced in the oddest of ways and sang a really loud and disturbing song was in the box. "Ugh. I hate that song. The beat is totally wrong and what is it with that outfit?" Magnus said as he turned back to them. He laughed at Will and Jem's surprised faces and sat next to Alec who looked bored.

"What is that?" Jem asked in surprise.

"It's called a television" Magnus said and he made a motion and the sound coming out of the box got louder. "It is the mundanes new way of entertaining themselves. The television is also the reason why most people here are fat, aside from their greasy hamburgers"

"If it makes people fat," Will said as he stood up, "then I must get out of here as soon as I can. I do not want this perfect shape to be ruined" Magnus laughed and told him to sit down.

"It's okay. Watching it for long hours is how you'd get fat" Will sat down and looked back at the screen. He had to admit. It was interesting.

"But how do they do it Magnus?" Jem asked the warlock and Magnus shrugged.

"If only I were an expert at this, then perhaps I'd tell you" he turned to Jem. "But I'm not and it would be very complicated" he turned back to the screen as a new song came up and he put his arm across Alec and started singing while swaying with him.

Jem looked at Magnus incredulously while Will ignored him. He already knew that Magnus had been strange and he really doesn't care about his relationships nor his interests.

While Magnus sang, Will sneaked out into the hallway but not without Jem noticing. "Where are you going?" Jem asked him.

Will smiled. "To meet my enemy"

Jem shook his head and smiled at his _parabatai_. "Don't get yourself hurt okay?"

Will nodded- even if he knew that there was no point because he'll do exactly the opposite of what Jem wanted -and left as he made his way to the training room, where he knew- although he did not know how he knew -that Jace would be waiting for him.

"And here's the library" Clary opened the library doors and Tessa and Sophie went inside, Tessa with more bounce to her footsteps. She looked like she loved books like Clary and the girl couldn't wait to know her better.

She heard someone clear their throat behind her and turned around to find Jace smiling at her. "You don't want to be here don't you?" Clary asked him and he nodded with a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry Clary" Jace grinned at her and she shook her head.

"It's okay. Go" the green-eyed girl then gave Jace a warning look. "Just don't get into a fight with Will, just in case you meet him halfway"

Jace smiled at her. "I can't promise that Clary" He then leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before leaving. Clary watched him as he ran away from her, a terrible feeling twisting in her stomach.

She knew that one day, she'd lose him and every time she saw him running away, she could feel that fear and Lake Lyn come back.

What would she do then? When he's gone?

Clary shook her head of the terrible thoughts that filled them and turned to Sophie and Tessa. Sophie had sat on one of the couches and smiled at Tessa who was fingering the books lining the bookshelves. "Feel free to take one" Clary told her and the girl turned back and smiled as a colour rose to her cheeks.

"Thank you..." Tessa trailed off, probably trying to remember her name.

"Clary" Clary smiled as she walked into the room and stood behind the table. "Call me Clary"

Tessa nodded. "Thank you Clary and please forgive me for my manners" Clary waved it off and Tessa continued her search.

While Tessa looked around, Clary sat across from Sophie. She looked sad and her eyes were red from crying. _Well_, Clary thought, _if you were raised from the dead and everything started so terribly, you'd cry right?_ she also couldn't help but feel guilty. She blamed herself for what happened to these people. Clary sighed heavily and Sophie's head went up.

"Are you alright?" Sophie asked with concern and Clary, looking at the girl's red eyes, felt even more guilty. She even had time to care for her during her time of trouble.

"Yes, I am alright" Clary smiled. "How about you two?" she asked of them and Tessa detached from the bookshelves, her hands empty as she stared at the floor. Sophie looked down too, but she smiled.

"I am okay" she looked up this time. "Everything just feels so overwhelming and we're about to meet the Shadowhunters in their homeland..." Sophie looked down and Clary tried to comfort her.

"Don't worry Sophie" she smiled. "I'm sure that they'll be kind to you, even though they sound scary" the other girl smiled as Tessa came over to them.

"What if they find something they don't like?" Tessa asked and Clary didn't really know how to answer the question. She's just started being a Shadowhunter and she knew nothing of stuff like those yet. Although she did know that you could be thrown to the Shadowhunter jail, but there should be nothing that they did to let that happen.

So Clary answered with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure they won't do anything to you" Tessa and Sophie looked relieved, but not entirely convinced. _They probably couldn't help it_, Clary thought. _They weren't Shadowhunters and I should understand. I wasn't born with the knowledge of what I was._

"So," Tessa said as she sat down next to Sophie, "What had changed in New York? I used to live here you know, until I moved to London, and I really am curious to what changed" Clary thought about all the things she learnt in her History classes back when she was still studying.

"Well, it started to become more populated and it started to have more part in the industries..." Clary really didn't pay attention in History. She looked at Tessa who nodded and the green-eyed girl sighed. "I'm really sorry Tessa. Although, I'm sure you might find some places that you still remember"

Tessa smiled. "Don't worry. I understand"

Clary couldn't help but smile back.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay. I just realised that my plans for chapter ten were too long. So I divided it into two because it seemed right. Also, I like the ending of this chapter and I don't want to destroy it. **

**So here it is, chapter ten. Oh and if you guys think that my writing is starting to become bad and sound rushed, please do tell me. I'm really afraid. **

**Disclaimer: You know it already. I am not Cassandra Clare. **

* * *

-Chapter ten-

As soon as he excused himself from showing Tessa and Sophie around- with permission from Clary of course-, he dashed to the training room.

He knew- yet he did not know how he knew -that Will would be waiting for him there. His nerves were practically screaming at him to go there. The smile on his face spread into a grin as he neared the attic, the steps blurring into nothing as he ran past them. Adrenaline coursed through him and he ran faster.

He took the last flight of steps and burst into the attic. The morning light filtered through the attic's half-moon windows and spilled on various parts of the room. One of these lights fell on a young man, his black hair outlined with gold.

William Herondale.

"Nice of you to finally turn up" he was sitting cross-legged and he didn't bother to look behind him. Jace leaned on the doorframe as he watched the boy. Will had his back to him and it looked as if he was leaning on his fist. "Had tea and everything"

"I thought it'd be interesting to make you wait" Jace smiled and the boy laughed. Jace then creased his eyebrows and wondered if his ancestor noticed their similarities and whether he's wondering if they have a connection or something like that. "Don't you think it's funny?" Will cocked his head as Jace spoke. "Don't you think it's funny how we mirror each other?"

Will burst out laughing and, this time, he turned to look at Jace, his midnight-blue eyes bright with excitement. "We may have similarities, but I'd always be better than you"

Jace forgot what he was initially thinking of. "We'll see" he smiled as he lunged towards the boy. Of course, Will got out of the way in time and Jace crouched as he prepared himself. He looked up to find him crouching too and Will shook his head.

"No dirty fighting?" he grinned as he lunged at Jace and they fell on the floor and started wrestling on the ground. "Would you like me to offer an insult to make you fight better?" Will teased as Jace got pinned. "Maybe I should say that your lover is very attractive and that I'm willing to make her mine"

Will laughed and he had no idea how that got to Jace.

_You're going to regret that_, Jace thought with a hiss in his thoughts as he brought his foot up and pushed Will off of him. The boy jumped off and they both straightened. Jace got into his fighting stance and drew his fist back. He aimed for Will's nose, but the boy moved just in time and grabbed hold of his wrist. He used Jace's weight change against him and was about to throw him down when Jace used his other hand and wrapped it around Will's neck. As Will pulled him down, Jace pushed him down- while sweeping his right foot across his legs -as well and they both fell to the floor. Will swore as Jace laughed and jumped into the air.

He grabbed hold of one of the beams as Will stood up and Jace swung towards him. He was about to kick him-

Will blocked it off in time and moved away. He then jumped up and swung on a beam and climbed onto it, all in a fraction of a second. Jace followed after and they were now twenty feet into the air and were facing each other.

Will peered down and Jace smirked "Scared?" Will grinned at him and ran towards him. He stopped in front of him as he did a side-kick and Jace ducked just in time and he swept his feet across Will's legs.

However, Will had jumped out of the way and Jace straightened. They both faced each other down. "I don't believe it" Will smiled. Jace couldn't either.

They were just so evenly matched. They could probably fight for days and there would still be no winner.

But that is exactly the reason on why Jace found this fight so interesting.

At the same time, they both lunged for each other. Will grabbed his collar as Jace did with his and Jace was about to perform a Muay Thai move on him when they both stepped on empty space and tipped over.

Despite the fact that they were about to fall to the floor, they still fought and as Jace thought they were about to hit their heads, he heard the attic door burst open and felt himself levitating in the air.

He ignored Magnus and kept punching at Will who was doing the same thing. "Why won't you lose already?" he told him as he brought his knee to Jace's stomach and as Jace punched him.

"I was about to ask the same thing" Jace hissed at him. Will's move had hurt.

"Will you two," they heard Magnus' ominous tone of voice, but still ignored him, "STOP IT ALREADY!" they felt a zapping at their bodies and- in an instant -Jace and Will separated and collided with the attic walls with a loud cracking sound.

Magnus must've been so mad that they smashed the attic walls and their bodies got stuck on the wood. "Magnus..." Jace said as he felt his body bruise. He was sore all over and he could feel warm blood on his head. It seemed to have come from Magnus instead of Will.

Jace heard someone gasp and he turned to the entrance to see Charlotte looking at Will in worry. He had pulled himself off the wall and was clutching his arm, blood dripping from his fingers. "Magnus!" Charlotte scolded the warlock as she ran to Will.

"Stop it Charlotte!" he told her off. He looked like a mess, but he still looked as energetic as ever. "I'm _fine_" he emphasised on the word.

"No you are not!" she told him as she took her stele and drew an _iratze_ on his arm. She then turned back to Magnus as Jace pulled himself off the wall. The wood pricked at his skin, but he's sure he'll be alright with his own _iratze_ runes. "Magnus! You just went to far!"

"I know, okay" Magnus raised his hands in front of him in a defensive manner. "But you should really blame those too" he gave Will and Jace glares. "They _really_ need to be separated"

Suddenly, Maryse appeared beside Magnus and she agreed with a startled Magnus. He didn't seem to notice her there. "From now on and especially in Idris," she gave them serious looks, "you two must stay away from each other or else we won't let you out the Institute and I know that you'll still go away but I'm serious. We won't let you investigate into what's happening with these Shadowhunters if you continue these fights"

Jace started to protest, but there really is no use. It was a sound argument and he really wanted to discover what was happening. It has affected enough people already. "Fine" he said as he pulled out a stele and drew an _iratze_ rune on his forehead. Across from him, Will crossed his arms in front of him as a sign of displeasure.

"Now," Maryse turned to Magnus and Charlotte, "I came here to tell you that the Clave confirmed the time we must arrive and I'm afraid we must be there by tonight" Maryse sighed and Charlotte gave her an incredulous look.

"Already?" Charlotte asked then realized what she said. "Well, I suppose that makes sense" she looked at Will with an exasperated expression. "You better clean yourself for the Clave, Will"

"I don't know where the baths are" Will then looked at Jace with a devilish grin. "Maybe Jace would be so kind to show me" Jace smirked at him while Charlotte scolded Will with little effect. She then turned to Magnus who said he'd be happy to and he left the room, with Will behind him, smiling all the while at Jace.

Clary was lying on her bed with the phone pressed on her ear as she waited for her best friend, Simon, to pick up. Maryse has just told them to prepare for the Clave tonight. She had led Tessa and Sophie to the baths and told them what they had to do for the hot water to come out. Clary also gave them fresh clothes all the while telling them the changes in them too- for they looked curious -which wasn't a very pleasant moment for Clary. She then went to her bedroom to prepare. It was only a night's stay so she only had to get clothes for sleeping and another set for the way back tomorrow. Still though, she was worried on what she was to wear that she gave up on choosing and decided to call Simon to calm herself.

In truth, she was really nervous in meeting the Clave that night. She wasn't sure how they'd react to her newfound powers to raise the dead. Although, it _was_ due to her powers that they already knew about, but the power to raise the dead is still a serious matter.

"Hello?" Simon's voice on the other end of the phone snapped Clary out of her thoughts and she sat up.

"Hey Simon" she said. "How are things going at school?" It was a Saturday morning and she could hear Simon's stereo on the other side.

"Good. Every girl in school kept looking at me, homework load's getting bigger and the teachers are getting more annoying" he sounded bone-tired and Clary wondered if he was okay. Jace had told her about the problems with vampires who don't feed well and she knew that Simon wasn't feeding well. She really wished she could do something, but there was nothing she could really do. She was so useless. And to think it was her fault on why he turned to a vampire...

"Have you eaten today? You sound sick" she said, her voice filled with concern.

Simon reassured her on the other side. "I'm _o-kay_" he emphasised on the word. "How about you? You wouldn't normally call me in the morning unless something really bad happened"

Clary bit her lip, deciding on whether telling him or not. "You're right" she chose to tell him. "I'm sorry to wake you up early though" Simon said it was okay and asked for her to continue on. "Okay. Just get ready because this is really shocking" Simon didn't say anything and Clary thought that it meant for her to go on. "You see, last night, Isabelle and I found this box and the box contained these pictures from London during the 1800s. With the box came this notebook and I was reading it before I fell asleep. While reading it, I came across this spell. At the same time I also had this rune on my arm that was altered, but it was an accident. Anyways, we all woke up to find these people in the library and most of them were Shadowhunters" Clary took time to take a breath and to gather the strength to continue on.

"Clary?" Simon said on the other side. "They were Shadowhunters... I can't find anything shocking in that"

"I haven't finished"

"Oh, sorry"

"It's okay" Clary smiled, then frowned as she continued. "Then Magnus told me that these people were supposed to be dead and that with the spell and the altered runes, I raised them to life"

Silence. "Are you saying you have powers to make zombies?" Simon sounded genuinely surprised but Clary shook her head.

"What! No" she smiled. "That would be terrible. It's more like I gave them another chance at living, but their not zombies"

"Oh, that's good" Simon sighed. "I was worried for a bit that someone would kidnap you and ask you to make them a zombie army" Clary laughed. "But, no matter how terrible this is, it doesn't sound that terrible and I don't think that that's your problem"

Clary smiled. He knew her too well. "We're going to meet the Clave tonight" Simon didn't say anything on the other end. "Simon?"

"Tonight?" he yelled and Clary pulled the phone away from her ear. "I guess it makes sense and I would think that Jace would be with you..." Simon trailed off and Clary understood.

She pulled the phone close to her ear again. "I know" Clary said. "I'll be careful. I don't like the Clave either" she knew that her friend had a bad history with the Clave and that was probably why he was so worried for her.

"You better" she could hear him smiling on the other side and she heard another sound. It sounded like Eric. "Sorry, I have to go. Band practice. Be careful, okay?"

Clary laughed and bid goodbye. The line went dead and Clary shut her phone and turned back to her clothes that spilled all over her bed. Clary sighed and was about to just pick one randomly when there was a knock on the door and Clary turned to see the door open and Jace appear on the other side. His hair was wet- probably coming from a shower -and he had his familiar leather jacket, black shirt, jeans and heavy boots attire. He looked at the mess on her bed and laughed. "Don't laugh" she pouted and he went to sit next to her.

"It's just for a night Clary" he said as she chose a camisole and a short to wear at night and threw it in her duffel bag.

"I know" she took a pair of jeans and a light green shirt and threw them in too. As she chose her clothes and start folding up the ones she didn't need, Jace watched her and she finally turned back to him. "What?"

"Nothing" she sighed and was about to resume to what she was doing when she noticed a scar on Jace's head. He seemed to notice her noticing and turned away. "That's nothing too"

"You got into a fight didn't you?" Clary asked with disappointment in her tone.

"Yes, but I got this from Magnus" Jace turned back to her and grinned. "He slammed me and Will to the wall"

"Magnus?" Clary sighed. _It must've been really bad_.

_Boys will be boys_ she thought.

"If anything bad happens, just give us a call" Robert told Isabelle and Alec. They were staying behind to watch over the Institute while Magnus will go look for the warlock who helped the Shadowhunter after he finishes with the Portal that will lead them to the Shadowhunter homeland, Idris.

Everyone had gathered to leave. Henry, Charlotte, Sophie and Jessamine were standing by the corner while the people they just met were behind Tessa. She turned to them and saw Jace and Clary whispering to each other while Maryse and Robert were next to their children.

The sun was setting and there were streaks of fiery gold in the sky. There were loud beeping sounds and what was even louder was Jessamine's complaints. Tessa stood by Magnus as he worked the Portal, trying his best to drown out Jessamine.

They- Jessamine and Isabelle -had just come back an hour ago and Charlotte told Jessamine- who looked rather teary -to go take a bath for they were going to Idris tonight. Jessamine then started screaming as Charlotte and Henry tried to convince her to go. They did manage to make her go take a bath and change in the end, until Jessamine had to wear something brown and she started protesting in an instant. However, it was the only dress left that could fit her and she was left with no choice. And that was what she was complaining about.

"But brown is a terrible colour!" she kept complaining to Henry who only stood there with Charlotte and Sophie in endurance. "It is depressing and it does not match with the blue of my eyes at all!" she pouted as she kept looking down at herself.

Suddenly, Will appeared beside Jessamine. "Just stop it Jessie" she jumped at his sudden appearance and he laughed as he made his way to Jem who was standing next to Tessa. He handed him something. "Have some of this" Tessa noticed that it looked like a red stone on a white stick. "They call it a lollipop, as Isabelle told me when she saw me with them"

Jem looked at it warily. "What does it do?"

"Oh, you suck on it and it's sweet. Like chocolate. I'm sure it's edible. I found it in the kitchen" Will smiled as Jem took it. "You need to take off the wrapper first"

Jem smiled at him. "I know that" he took off the wrapper as Will took another one and took the wrapper off as well. He then put it in his mouth while Jem did the same thing. "It is sweet, but hard" he then turned to Tessa. "How about you Tessa? Would you like one?"

Tessa shook her head. "If it's like chocolate, then perhaps I do not want it" Tessa never really liked chocolate, but she also had bad memories arising every time she thought of the sweet that was poisoned and which her aunt ate. What made it worse was that it was her brother who gave it to her aunt. Her brother that betrayed her and gave her away to Mortmain.

"Come on Tessa" Jem smiled as he gave her one which he got from Will. "It is nice" Tessa looked at it and, feeling rude if she refused it, she took it with a smile.

She took off the wrapper and placed it in her mouth. It was sweet and hard, but it is nice. Just like what Jem said. She could always trust him. "That's it" she heard Magnus say beside her and he stepped back as Tessa looked at the swirling purple void.

Suddenly, two men emerged from the Portal and landed softly in front of them. Tessa saw that they were Shadowhunters with their inked skin and black gear. "Where's the traitor?" one of the Shadowhunters, a tall and burly one asked Robert Lightwood. He beckoned them to follow him and they disappeared around the corner.

"Alright everyone" Henry suddenly appeared next to the Portal. Sophie was standing next to him and so was Charlotte and Jessamine "Let's go" he turned to Magnus and thanked him. Charlotte then took Jessamine with her and Tessa stared as they _walked_ through the Portal and disappeared.

"Where did they go?" Tessa asked as Henry and Sophie walked to the Portal and, like the others, they disappeared too.

"They're in Idris" Jem said beside her and he offered her his arm. She turned to him. "I'll show you how they get there" Tessa was hesitant. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go anymore. "Don't worry" she looked at Jem. The afternoon light illuminated his face and his silver hair. The lollipop stuck out of his mouth and as he smiled, he looked so soft and gentle. "I'll protect you" he said as Tessa placed her arm through his and as he led her to the Portal.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Told you that chapter ten had a good ending.  
****Finished chapter eleven! Yay! I even went out for five hours with my family! Well, here it is and I hope you like it. That's all my Author's Note.**

**Disclaimer: Why do I have to write this over and over again? I am not Cassandra Clare, okay? **

* * *

-Chapter eleven-

The Portal hadn't been a very pleasant experience for Tessa.

It was as if it had sucked her and threw her out of it like a tornado, but it was a good thing Jem was with her or else she'd have embarrassed herself in front of Shadowhunters. She smoothed her dress skirts as she straightened and looked around her in wonder.

She did not know what she expected when she arrived in Idris. Perhaps lots of black-clad Shadowhunters darting about here and there and tall towering houses that reminded her of the London Institute in some way. She also imagined hills.

However, she did not expect _this_.

There were lots of yellow houses dotted here and there. Canals separated some of them and there were bridges over these canals. The road was cobblestone and the streetlamps were starting to turn on, letting a soft glow of witchlight pool over the streets. Tessa looked beyond to see hills- which was probably the only thing she got right -and trees starting to lose their golden leaves. Beyond these hills lay mountains, their peaks capped with snow. Tessa breathed in the air and it smelled of... nothing. Not unlike the New York pollution or the salty smell of the Thames River. It smelled of nothing. But these were not what surprised her the most.

What surprised her the most were the towers placed at random around Idris. They shone like the seraph blades Shadowhunters carried and seemed to cut through the sky. They glittered here and there and Tessa was so focused on them that she didn't notice the others starting to move. "Tessa" she heard someone say behind her and she turned to see Jem.

"I'm sorry Jem" she smiled as they started to walk up the cobblestone road to whatever destination they were off to.

"That's alright" he looked up at the towers. "Those are the demon towers. Without them, demons can freely come and go in Idris. They ward them off you see" Tessa nodded when Jace suddenly spoke behind them.

"They did get through once" Tessa jumped and turned around to see him with Clary. She didn't notice they were still behind them.

"Is that why there is this air of precaution around Alicante?" Tessa jumped again to see Will beside her. He was looking in front of him with a sort of uninterested expression.

_Honestly_, she chided herself. _I need to be more aware of my surroundings_.

"Yes" she could hear Jace smile. "If only you arrived earlier, you would have arrived at a war" _A war?_ Tessa thought, horrified.

"Too bad then" Will sighed. "Tell me this, were there a lot of demons then?" they turned a corner as Jace said yes and Will _hmphed_. "Then I really regret not being there"

They kept walking for another couple of minutes when they stopped beside a tall house with tall and thin windows. Tessa had to crane her neck to see the top of the house. "Maryse," she heard someone say and she looked towards the feminine voice to find a woman's silhouette at the front door, "come in"

"Thank you Jia" she said as she went in and the others followed. Tessa grasped the bag that Isabelle gave her- it was like a suitcase, only softer and smaller- and followed after.

She gasped inwardly as she saw the house. Clear-cut crystal hung from the chandeliers like teardrops and there was a grand staircase. Tapestries- like the ones in the Institute only that they had a much more Eastern style -hung from the walls and everything was richly decorated. The place had an Asian feel to it and in fact, Tessa saw the woman properly now and noticed that she had the same almond eyes as Jem. The woman looked at the group in front of her. "So this is them Maryse?" she asked and Marsye nodded.

"I'm sorry Jia" she said with a rushed tone to her voice. "Can we talk about this later? We'll be late" Jia nodded and led them up the stairs.

Suddenly, a girl with black hair pulled from her face into a ponytail and with the same almond eyes appeared and eyed them. "Aline," the woman- Jia -said to the girl, "these are our guests. Surely you've met half of them" Aline smiled.

"Of course" she then looked past Tessa. "Hi Jace! Hi Clary" she beamed enthusiastically which showed off her pearly white teeth. Tessa also noticed how much more enthusuiastic she was when she mentioned Jace. She then looked at Jem and her and then...

...her eyes fell on Will.

Aline smiled and waved at him. He waved back of course, and Tessa felt a sudden twisting feeling in her stomach and looked at the steps. _What's this feeling?_ she pondered as they made the rest of the climb up the stairs and Jia led Maryse, Charlotte, Henry, Sophie and Jessamine- who still looked sour -to their rooms while she left Aline in charge of the rest of them.

The girl smiled wider- stretching her lips so much that Tessa worried that she'd split it -as her mother made her in charge of them. "Hi! I'm Aline Penhallow" she stretched her hand to Will and he shook it. Tessa waited for her to shake hands with her and Jem when she started talking to Will as she led them to their rooms. She barraged him with questions like, 'where are you from?' and 'I haven't seen you here before' as they got farther from them.

"Aline will be Aline" Jace said behind Tessa.

"At least she's come off you" Clary whispered almost inaudibly and Jace laughed.

Tessa looked back at Aline who was preoccupying Will. Will replied back with the same enthusiasm and the twisting feeling in Tessa's stomach came back. "This house..." Jem said suddenly and Tessa turned to him. "I wonder if the owner of the house ran the Beijing Institute"

"Why do you think so Jem?" Tessa asked as Jem swung his dragon-head cane.

"Well," he said as he looked at her, "for one, the decorations are Chinese and secondly, the woman before is also Chinese" he explained and Tessa could feel blood rush to her face at her stupidity. "Are you alright Tessa?" Jem asked and Tessa nodded.

Suddenly, there was laughter in front of them and Tessa looked up to see Aline and Will stop by a door. "And here's your room" she gestured to the door and she looked back at Tessa and Jem as she walked to another door and pointed out that it was Tessa and Clary's room. She also said that the boys will be sharing.

"Perfect!" Jace and Will said at the same time as they gave each other mischievous smiles.

"Not perfect" Jem shook his head. He then went over to Aline and started speaking in his native tongue. Aline replied back in the same language and Tessa watched in silent wonder as they conversed in Chinese. "And you see, that is why they must be separated" Jem finally said in English again and Aline nodded.

"Alright" she pointed to the door next to Tessa and Clary's room. "That can be your room Jace" Jace frowned at Jem while Will gave him a glare both, of which Jem ignored. Tessa smiled at him and his will to make things right.

"Fine" Jace said as he entered his room and Clary opened the one Tessa and her were sharing after thanking Aline.

"You coming Tessa?" she smiled and Tessa followed while over hearing Jem and Will's conversation.

"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, Will" Jem pointed out as they entered their room and as Aline walked away.

"Are you saying I'm an idiot James?" Will said in a rather sarcastic tone.

"No" she could hear Jem shaking his head. "I'm just saying you should have more sense of self-preservation"

After they had dropped their bags, they gathered at the front of the Penhallow's house to wait for the others. Tessa hugged herself as the cold wind pricked her skin and made the hairs on it rise. She had left the rough jacket that Isabelle gave her and instead put on a thin, stretchy 'cardigan'- as Clary called it. She wished that she had the jacket now and her dress wasn't suited for the cold weather either.

Tessa sighed as another cold wind blew across and she shivered slightly under her cardigan. Suddenly, a pale hand appeared in her line of vision. The hand was holding a jacket and the person was clearly offering her the jacket. She turned and saw Jem. "Won't you get cold?" she asked him in concern.

"No" he smiled and persuaded her to take the jacket.

Tessa shook her head. "I can't" Jem smiled at her. "You're sick"

"The cold won't make it worse"

"Yes, it will" somebody said beside Tessa and she turned around to see Will. He was taking of his jacket. "Keep yours Jem. I'll give her mine" he handed her the jacket and Tessa took it absently with the smallest of smiles while Jem put his back on with a sigh.

As Tessa put on the jacket, she suddenly wondered why she did take it. She could have just told both of them that she was fine. However, they would have still forced her.

_Still_, Tessa thought as she sneaked a glance at Will. He was looking at the demon towers of Alicante, the cold wind blowing his black hair off his face. _Why would he go through all the trouble to help me?_ that night in the attic still terrified Tessa. They haven't talked for days after that, but it seems that after they were risen from the dead, their wall started to crumble and the night they were attacked, he had worried about her.

Memories of that night rose back to her and his angered face as the Shadowhunter held the blade at her throat. Tessa absently touched the small scar that formed as butterflies flew in her stomach and as her heart pounded unevenly at the thought of her and Will talking to each other again, like nothing had happened.

Suddenly, she shook her head. She must not let that idea come into her head again. It was better off that they didn't talk to each other if she didn't want to get hurt. She also should not even _feel_ elated at that idea. Tessa sighed inwardly. _Besides, he probably just helped me to help Jem_.

"You both worry too much" Jem sighed again as he twirled his cane in his hand. Tessa turned and behind him, she could see Charlotte and Henry appear. Jessamine and Sophie came after with Maryse right behind them.

"Let's go" Maryse said as she led them to the Clave.

Tessa stared at the stone statues of angels guarding the gates to the Gard. They each held a sword and a demon lay dying at their feet. She hugged herself as she looked back at the wall. There were patterns of runes on it that made her dizzy and amazed at the same time.

"Here we are" Jace said as he pushed the gate and entered, Clary right behind her. Tessa and the others followed and once she was inside, she had to blink many times to let her eyes adjust to the sudden illumination of the witchlight torches leading to the Gard.

There was a man in front of them and Maryse greeted him and- after the man had a quick look at them -he started walking off and Maryse gestured for them to follow. "It's been a long time" Charlotte said in front of Tessa.

Henry was right beside her and Tessa noticed that he was fiddling with his jacket. "It has" Henry agreed, rather in a nervous tone too.

Tessa could feel her heart pounding in nervousness as well. She has never seen the Clave. She's only seen the Enclave, but that was a long time ago. She was afraid of their questions and she was expecting them to have piercing eyes. "It's alright Sophie" she heard Jem say beside her and she turned her head to see him comforting her.

Sophie looked even more scared than she was. _Poor Sophie_, Tessa thought and her head bowed when she'd just remembered that it was her fault why this was happening.

Suddenly, the Gard rose out of nowhere and Tessa stared at the lights glowing from the windows. She looked down and saw windows too, but these were barred. As Tessa wondered why they would have them, they reached a side door and the man they met unlocked the door with a key he took out from his inner pocket.

He opened the door wide and gestured for them to come in. Maryse went off and when Tessa entered, all she saw was a white hallway with great big doors thrown open. From where she was, she could hear the loud sound of people conversing and she looked beyond to see Robert Lightwood standing next to an entrance. Past the entrance, Tessa could see an amphitheatre with black-clad Shadowhunters sitting behind the desks.

Tessa gulped as the man led them to the entrance and then left to announce their arrival.

"What?" she heard Jace say and she turned to see Robert and Jace arguing. Tessa suddenly remembered that this was the first time she saw him since they entered Idris and instantly wondered where he had been. "No" Jace crossed his arms in front of him.

"Jace," Robert gave the boy a serious look, "the Clave doesn't need you to say anything so it's just right if you stay here. Don't worry about Clary. You could still probably see her" Clary then came up behind Jace and gave him a reassuring smile. He looked at her and back at Robert then gave up with a sigh.

"Come on everyone" Maryse said and entered the amphitheatre with Robert. Charlotte raised her chin and followed after with Henry. Tessa took careful steps as she passed the entrance and looked around her.

She was in a sea of faces. She felt trapped for the gazes were exactly how she expected them to be. Piercing.

In order to keep herself calm, Tessa looked around the amphitheatre. There was a large space in the middle of the amphitheater and there were Shadowhunters surrounding it, each behind desks. They stared at them, some whispering. Tessa was also surprised to find Downworlders in the room. There were four of them. One each of the four Downworlder races. The repeating tapestries hung on the walls and there were large stone statues of angels surrounding the room- each one holding a sword and with eyes that stared at her.

Tessa shivered again, but it was not of the cold. The room was actually warm.

Finally they made it to the middle and Robert took a deep breath in as the man before stood up and as the rest of the Shaowhunters and the four Downworlders lapsed into silence. "Robert Lightwood," he had a deep and gravelly voice, "you have been called by the Clave to talk about a certain... mishap"

Tessa flinched as he said 'mishap'. It was as if he didn't want them there. "Yes" Robert placed his hands behind his back and looked at every Shadowhunter in the room. "You see, yesterday night, we have come across some people in the Institute's library and they were supposed to be dead" at the last word, every Shadowhunter and Downworlder leaned forward and listened in to him. "What was even surprising was that they just appeared and that they were supposed to be dead about a hundred thirty years ago"

"And may we know who these people are?" Robert nodded and turned to Charlotte. She took a deep breath and stepped forward with Henry as Robert moved back to where his wife was standing.

Charlotte was about to say her name when a Shadowhunter- who was rather old -stood up. "Charlotte Branwell?" it was a very old woman and she gave Charlotte a startled look and placed one of her hands over her open mouth. "Dear me! It's you! My parents told me of you they said you died by those burning carriages with your family a hundred thirty years ago!"

"The carriage accident?" another Shadowhunter spoke and, all of a sudden, Shadowhunters started talking over one another.

"Silence!" one of the Shadowhunters in front of Tessa- a grey-haired man with piercing and odd orange eyes -said. "Let them speak!" he gestured for Charlotte to continue and Charlotte- after giving a thankful nod -took a deep breath in.

"It is true" she smiled. "I am Charlotte Branwell and this is my husband," she gestured to Henry who tried his best to not look nervous, "Henry" she then turned around as she gestured to Jessamine. "That is Jessamine Lovelace," to Sophie, "Sophie", to Jem, "Jem Carstairs," to Tessa, "Tessa Grey", and finally to Will, "William Herondale"

Once again, the Shadowhunters erupted into a chorus of noises and whispers and once again, the orange-eyed man commanded them into silence again. "Thank you, Inquisitor" the Shadowhunter with the deep and gravelly voice said as the Inquisitor sat down. He then returned his gaze to the people in front of him. "An interesting group we have here in front of us. However, what exactly happened to each of you? How did you... come back?"

Charlotte was about to speak when she closed her mouth and looked at the ground. She then turned to Clary who was at the back of the group and beckoned for her to come forward. Clary seemed to gather her courage for a moment and made her way to the front with Charlotte. "I know exactly what happened," Charlotte began as Clary stood next to her, "but it is not my story to say" she then looked at Clary, gave her a nod and stepped down.

"Clarissa Morgenstern" the man said and Tessa flinched at how he said 'Morgenstern'. It was as if he spat it. Tessa suddenly wondered why Clary's last name seemed poisonous to the man and looked at her. "What have you done this time?"

"I raised the dead" she said boldly and the Shadowhunters erupted again. Beside her, she heard Will smirk. The Inquisitor silenced the Shadowhunters again and Clary took another breath in to speak. "I did it because of this spell that I said and while having an altered rune on my wrist. It was an accident. I had no idea that the spell was meant to give people a second chance at living"

The man suddenly sighed and looked at every Shadowhunter in the room. "Comrades," he began in his deep gravelly voice, "as the Consul, I advice you to think very carefully on what we must do with these people now. You see, this has the potential to break our Accords"

This time, it was the Downworlders turn to speak.

"Are you saying that we would break the Accords just because of another dangerous ability?" the faerie bellowed, his sweet voice echoing around the room.

"Just because this ability may frighten my people, it does not mean that we will shatter the bonds we forged during our war against Valentine!" the werewolf said as Tessa noticed his ears start get pointier. Like a dog's.

"Sure there may be faithful Circle members still out there, but it is truly up to you Nephilim to make sure that this is kept secret" the warlock with the bat wings said in a rather calm voice despite the situation.

"You make a very good point Consul" the vampire said in a rather uninterested tone. The other Downworlders looked at the vampire and he only gave a shrug. "It is true"

"Thank you" the Consul said as the other Downworlders- who had stood up in the outburst -sat down. The Consul then sat down and another Shadowhunter beside him stood up.

"I believe that our goal is pretty clear my fellow Nephilims and Downworlders" this Shadowhunter looked softer, gentler. "The Nephilim's role would be to keep this as a secret, as well as our Downworlder representatives" he gestured to the Downworlders who agreed. "I believe we must also make sure that these people learn to fit into the new world as quick as they can, in order to keep this secrecy" he eyed everyone and they all agreed. The man looked at the Lightwoods. "You must take care of these people, just until they learn to fit into today" the Lightwoods nodded and the man took a deep breath in. "That is the end of this discussion," he then looked at Robert, "but I believe there is another one" he raised an eyebrow and Robert nodded as he made a motion with his right hand.

Suddenly, the traitor's voice reached the amphitheatre.

"I will spit on you!" he kept yelling and Tessa and the others was suddenly ushered out of the middle by Charlotte, Henry and Maryse. "Let go of me!" the man yelled as Tessa ran up the steps that cut through the amphitheatre and as they all- except Robert who had sat on one of the seats -joined Jace.

He thrashed about here and there as the two Shadowhunters who appeared from the Portal, held him down and made him kneel. "Shadowhunter" the soft Nephilim now held an ominous tone in his voice. "We have heard news that you betrayed us and that you are working with an unknown warlock. Is this true?"

The man suddenly stared at the other Shadowhunter and laughed like a lunatic. "Yes. But you can never make me say another word!" he spat on the marble floor and the Shadowhunters that held him tightened their grips on him. The man scrunched his eyes in pain.

"Enough!" the Shadowhunter with the soft voice commanded. It was his turn to make a motion with his hand and suddenly, the Silent Brothers appeared.

Tessa tried to avoid looking at their twisted faces, but her eyes dared her to and she did. They took off their hoods as they looked at the man and Tessa was once again frightened at their stitched faces. One of them turned to her and Tessa instantly shrank back, but she was still pinned like a butterfly_. Tessa Grey_, the brother echoed in her mind and Tessa focused her attention on the man and as he writhed when the brothers all looked down at him.

"Y-you!" the man yelled and the brothers all released their hold on him and turned to the Shadowhunter still standing behind his desk.

Tessa heard nothing, of course.

"Ah," the Shadowhunter said, "I see. Thank you" the Silent Brothers all gave him a nod, put their hood over their faces again and walked away with soundless footsteps. "So you are just a pawn to this game. You know nothing of your master. He, or she, must be very careful" the traitor laughed like a lunatic once again as the Shadowhunter ordered him away to be taken into prison.

Tessa looked at the man as the two Shadowhunters dragged him out of the room.

_Do you know the truth about you Miss Grey?_ the hairs on Tessa's neck raised as she heard the voice echo in her head again and she looked around for the Silent Brothers.

But they had all disappeared.

Jace wasn't very happy when Maryse told them that they had to go back to the Penhallow's. He had wanted to listen to the plan of action that the Clave was going to take himself, but Maryse made Clary persuade him to go.

They had no idea how that worked.

She was walking beside Jace and they were a little ways ahead of the others. "I'm really sorry" Clary smiled at him and Jace placed his arm across her shoulder.

"That's okay" he said as she leaned against him. "How about you? You sounded brave up there" Jace was really proud of how she held herself and his worries before had instantly faded away.

He expected her to answer, but she didn't.

Jace panicked in an instant and looked down at her. The moment he saw her tired face and her closed eyes, he laughed and kissed her forehead. She smelled of soap, the way she always did.

"Jace?" a familiar voice said beside him and Jace turned to see Maryse. She was looking ahead, her eyes also beheld a sign of tiredness.

But Jace knew that that tiredness could have also come from her recent problems. Problems that involved Max. "You knew didn't you?" she said as she looked at him. "You knew that Will was your ancestor" Jace nodded and grinned.

"That's why we absolutely hate each other" Maryse smirked.

"That part makes sense" her smile then turned to a frown and her eyebrows creased. "However, if Will had died and you are his descendant," she then turned to him, "how come you're still here?"

Jace almost froze on the spot. He hadn't thought of that. He had only thought of how fun it was to fight against his ancestor._ But Maryse did have a point. If Will died, then the Herondale line couldn't have continued_. "Unless he had a sibling or other relatives" Jace said to Maryse.

"That's possible" Maryse said. She then lapsed into silence and left Jace thinking.

_But what if Will didn't?_ Jace felt a sharp twisting in his stomach.

_Then... who am I?_

"Izzy?" Alec called out as he knocked on Isabelle's room repeatedly. She had not come out of her room since dinner and Magnus had not come back yet so he decided to go check on her. When he did arrived by her bedroom, he heard her crying. "Let me in. What's wrong? Did Simon break your heart or something?" _If that Downworlder did something..._

"Go away Alec!" Isabelle yelled. He then heard a loud thud against the door and realised that she must've thrown something.

"Izzy. Just please let me in for a few seconds and tell me what's wrong. I'm having anxiety here" she said nothing in response and Alec took a deep breath in. "Please" Alec expected her to do nothing and he expected himself to give up- and what a terrible brother he was! -but Isabelle had opened the door and Alec entered her dirty room.

Isabelle sat down on her bed, all teary-eyed and Alec sat down next to her. She said nothing and he looked down to see her holding something. It was a small figurine of a Shadowhunter.

Max.

"Izzy..." Alec started but she just burst into tears. Alec wished he could do something, but he was never good at stuff like this.

"It's always going to be my fault" Isabelle said as she wept. "When I found out what Clary could do, I instantly thought of Max and I went 'We can raise Max to life again! Then he'd be happy and we'd all be happy!' but Magnus said it mustn't happen again and I-I..." Isabelle's head bowed. "That's why I kept telling everyone we must do something fun. I wanted to forget the idea but I just can't!" Isabelle started crying into her hands and Alec thought of how she always tried to compose herself and to try and be strong. It was this moment that completely challenged her and it was the moment she allowed herself to break.

"There, there honey" Alec jumped at the voice and saw Magnus at the threshold to Isabelle's room.

_Where did he come from? _Alec thought as he walked in, sat on her other side, put his arm across her shoulders and comforted her. Alec just watched in surprise.

"You're a terrible brother" Magnus said as he shut the door to Isabelle's room. She had stopped crying and Magnus gave her a calming spell and she went to sleep. "I love that about you though because you try to be a good brother"

"Thank you" Alec whispered.

"Aw, don't be like that" Magnus said as he took his arm and started walking down the hallway. "I was just joking" Alec told him he knew and Magnus laughed.

"How did that warlock matter go anyway?" Alec asked.

"Couldn't find him. Must've fled" Magnus said in an unhappy tone. He was thinking hard and Alec suddenly remembered when he first appeared yesterday night. They knew him and when they were showing Will and Jem around, he kept giving Will this secret look. It really annoyed him and Alec was waiting for a chance to talk to him about it.

And now was it.

"What exactly are your relationships with those people?" Alec asked and Magnus stopped to turn to him.

"That sounds rather like an accusation" Alec sighed and Magnus frowned. "Fine. They're just people I met that I helped to defeat an evil guy. You know how there's always a villain? It's like that. I'm a supporting character"

"Really? What about Will?" Alec raised his eyebrow at him and Magnus gave him a blank expression, then laughed. "Don't laugh!"

"This sounds like one of those domestic dramas where the husband accuses the wife of cheating. Oh Alec," Magnus gave him a reassuring smile, "sure I like blue eyes and black hair- like you -but nothing happened between me and William Herondale"

Alec wasn't convinced and Magnus took his arm and gave him a quick kiss. "Come on! Let's watch re-runs of _Project Runway_. Like I said, I'd love you more if you had at least one designer suit"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I know! It's getting a bit boring lately in this fanfic! That is why I made this special chapter that has romance, action, mystery and tragedy in it! I hope you all love it!**

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it? Fine! I am not Cassandra Clare. You ask me to do this many times. **

* * *

-Chapter twelve-

_She was walking through an endless desert._

_The sand was white._

_The sky,_

_an endless grey._

_Black clouds pressed heavily upon_

_Clary Frey._

_Suddenly, a high and sweet voice came out of nowhere. "Clary Frey" it sang and started laughing. Mocking. "You are Clarissa Morgenstern" Clary looked around for the voice, frantic and angry._

_She then turned around and saw a mirror in front of her. She saw her red-hair and green eyes reflected off the mirror. But the surroundings in the mirror was different._

_There was an oasis in the middle of the yellow desert. There was also a blue sky._

_Clary turned, hoping that it would be the same in reality, but it was still the endless grey._

_She turned back to the mirror, and her reflection stared at her._

_Suddenly, the other Clary looked at her right hand when she- the real Clary -wasn't. Startled, she looked down and saw a piece of paper in her hand. Words started to form..._

_Then there was a sudden sharp pain._

_Clary looked up at the mirror and saw the reflected her, bleeding. The real Clary looked down at herself and there was blood too._

_Her last breath slipped through her fingers as she fell to the white sand._

_Her red hair,_

_her red blood,_

_was stark against_

_the paleness of her skin._

_The whiteness of the sand._

"Clary!" someone shook her and she instinctively punched the air. "Clary! It's Tessa" her eyes flickered open and focused on Tessa's face. "I'm sorry if I had to wake you like that" she smiled sheepishly as Clary shook her head as a way of saying 'It's okay'. "I'm really sorry. It's just that Maryse had told us to wake up" it seems as if Tessa misunderstood her. "Also, it seemed as if you were having a nightmare. Are you alright?"

_A nightmare?_ Clary thought as she tried to remember her dream. _It had been about angels and... I forgot_. Clary tried to remember, but it just didn't come back. "It's okay Tessa. I'm fine" she looked up at the girl and smiled. "I forgot the dream anyway"

"That's good" she smiled. "I was worried for a moment. I thought I had to get Jace" Clary blushed as Tessa went off to get her clothes and 'use the showery thing', as she called it. Clary smiled when she remembered herself explaining stuff to her and Sophie.

She stretched and got off the bed. Clary turned and walked towards the window covered by the velvet curtains. A pale glow escaped from the edges of the curtain and Clary drew the curtains back to have the room bathed in a gold glow.

The golden sun was rising in Idris.

The Portal opened before them and Clary bid goodbye to Jia Penhallow who had walked with them to the Portal. "See you again Clary" Jia smiled at her.

"See you" she smiled back as she grabbed the straps of her duffel bag and waited for her turn to step through the Portal. These Portals were nicer than the ones she had made.

"Will I see you again?" she heard a feminine voice say behind her and turned around to see Aline Penhallow battering her eyelashes at Will. Clary suddenly remembered when Aline was like that at Jace and wondered if Will will act the same as Jace.

"Perhaps I'll visit you in your dreams" Will said in a voice as smooth as velvet and Clary sighed. Maybe there _are_ some differences between Jace and Will.

_Speaking of Jace..._ Clary looked for him. She actually hadn't seen him since last night.

"Looking for me?" she turned around and found him behind her. Clary smiled, but then frowned at Jace's face. There were dark shadows under his eyes and his face looked tired.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she faced him.

"Yeah," he looked like she didn't know what she was saying, "why?" Clary gave him an accusing look and he laughed. She tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't help to laugh along.

"What happened?" Isabelle asked Jace as she slid a pancake on Clary's plate.

They were- obviously -in the kitchen and Clary and Jace were having their breakfast. Alec, as Isabelle had told them, was with Magnus in the city. Their guests were somewhere but they knew that they'd be fine by themselves.

Clary bit into the pancake and smiled. Isabelle was getting better at cooking.

However, the girl herself doesn't look so good.

Isabelle had shadows under her eyes too and they looked red, as if she'd been crying. When Clary had asked her earlier what happened, she had said that she was just tired, but Clary wasn't easily convinced. "The Clave said that they'll be staying with us and that we should teach them how things go in today's society so they fit in" Jace explained as he pushed the pancake. "They needed to keep this as a secret for the stability of the Accords"

Isabelle beamed. "Yay! We should go out today!" she then stopped and looked back at Jace. "How about that traitor?" it seems, in Clary's opinion, that everyone had started calling that Shadowhunter the 'traitor'.

"Him?" Jace looked up as he chewed. "Oh, the Clave put him in jail after having the Silent Brothers look at him. The Silent Brothers... Well, I really don't know _exactly_ what they said, but the Clave said that he was just a pawn. That he doesn't know his careful master"

Isabelle lapsed into silent thinking. "Well, that's not really helpful" Jace agreed. "So, what's the Clave planning to do?"

He shrugged. "Don't know" Jace looked at his plate with an unhappy expression. "They won't let me stay and hear. We'll just have to wait 'til Maryse tells us after she hears from Robert" Jace looked up and suddenly had a smile. "But I bet they'd be investigating into the story"

"And your want to participate?" Isabelle smirked.

"Of course" he grinned as he showed his pearly white teeth.

Suddenly, Clary heard the sound of footsteps and saw Tessa and Sophie- with a sour Jessamine right behind them -talking as they descended the stairs. Tessa saw Clary and the others and waved. "Good morning"

"Good morning!" Isabelle smiled. She really was excited. "Sit down and have some breakfast" she pointed to the ready pancakes.

Tessa and Sophie thanked her as they sat down and Jessamine said nothing as she stared at the pancake. Clary felt like slapping her awake.

Everyone lapsed into silence as they ate when, suddenly, a phone rang and Isabelle fished her phone out of her pocket. "Oh, it's Simon" she said and she looked up to find a surprised Tessa.

"What's that?" she looked at the phone as if it was a speaking blob.

"It's a cell phone" Henry appeared around the corner. He looked tired, but it seemed to be an illusion because he also looked energetic. He was wearing a brown sweater and trousers. His glasses were over his bright eyes and he was holding a book in his hands. Clary noticed that it was those magazines that went on an on about science and technology.

_It seems as if Henry likes these things..._ Clary smiled as he stood next to Isabelle and asked for her phone.

Isabelle stared at Henry for a few seconds, then gave her the phone. Henry stared at it as if it was some kind of alien, but was happy about it. "Do you mind if I look inside it? I promise it'll be back in the same condition"

"No" Isabelle took her phone back and Clary heard Jessamine smirk and Jace tried to muffle his laughter. Clary tried too because Henry's head bowed in sadness.

Suddenly, a sharp pain flashed behind Clary's eyes. She clutched her head as she felt her breath get knocked out of her. "Clary?" Jace asked with concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

Clary looked around and found everyone looking at her with worry. Even Jessamine who looked a bit concerned but at the same time annoyed. "Yeah," Clary smiled weakly, "I just need a pain reliever" she looked at Isabelle but she looked at her blankly. "Do not tell me you don't have a pain reliever here"

Isabelle shook he head. "I'm sorry Clary. We don't take pain relievers" Clary sighed heavily and Jace stood up, all tensed and worried.

"You need to sleep" he said as he was about to reach out to her but Clary made him stop. "Clary-"

"It's okay" she said. "Besides, it's starting to pass away" it was true. The pain had dulled to a numbing feeling, but she was fine. "I probably just need water" Isabelle had a glass ready in an instant and Clary took it with a thanks and drank. She set the glass down with a sigh and smiled at Jace. "See, I'm fine"

_"No," a sweet voice said, "you're not"_

Tessa smiled at what was around her.

High buildings rose out of nowhere and she instantly felt at home as the warm sun caressed her face. Isabelle had taken them out to teach them new things and she had learned new things. Some interesting, some she didn't even want to know. The ones she didn't want to know were that women and men are free to expose as much skin as they want. Surely she never saw so many bare stomachs in her life as she passed people!

The things she found interesting were the tall buildings that reaching the sky. Tessa smiled as New York towered over her.

They had been to various places but now they were off to Chinatown.

Tessa smiled as she anticipated to see what it looked like. Jem showed her the photo of Chinatown he found in a brochure that Isabelle gave them and he had said some aspects of it remind her of Shanghai. "I really do miss it" he had said.

She glanced at him as he twirled his cane in his hand. People looked at him as he twirled his cane and Tessa knew that he must've looked out of place. In fact, they- she, Jem and Will -must've looked out of place.

She was wearing a long white dress that was just past her knees- and she wasn't very happy that it was of that length -and heavy knee-high black boots that Isabelle forced her into. She wore a white, wispy jacket too and Isabelle forced her into those as well. The girl was nice, but Tessa didn't like it when she does that to her.

She looked back at Jem and he was wearing what Isabelle called 'jeans' and a white shirt. He looked happier in his.

Tessa then sneaked a glance towards Will. He was grinning as every girl stopped to look at him. _He must be happy with the attention_, she thought. Will was wearing much the same as Jem's except that his shirt was black.

But those were not the fact that they looked out of place.

What made them look out of place was the fact that they kept looking everywhere as Isabelle pointed to various places. Tessa would have happily stopped to reduce attention, but she just can't. It was just so beautiful to her.

Suddenly, she felt someone bump into her and she turned around to see a boy with dark brown hair that were in spikes with startling blue eyes smile at her. "Sorry" the man apologised and Tessa saw Will and Jem stop at the corner of her eyes and turn. The boy looked at them and his blue eyes suddenly held fear. He smiled and left.

"What?" she then looked at Jem and Will. Jem looked impassive and Will was smirking.

"Hey people!" Isabelle said behind her and Tessa turned around to find Isabelle with her hips on her hands. Clary and Jace- who were accompanying Isabelle before -were gone. They were the only ones left. Her, Jem, Will and Isabelle. "Welcome to Chinatown!" Isabelle swept the air behind her and, behind her, people were celebrating and ribbons were everywhere. Tessa smiled as she saw great dragon-like beasts.

"Dragon dances" Jem breathed beside her and she turned to a delighted Jem.

"Let's go!" Isabelle said as she allowed herself to be swallowed by the people and Jem followed.

"I've never seen Jem so happy" Tessa smiled and she heard Will smirk beside her. She turned to him and she caught a glance of the expression on his face before he walked off.

And it was a sad one.

_Will?_ Tessa wondered as he walked off and she followed after him.

"Tessa!" she heard someone shout and she turned to see Jem waving at her. As she ran to him, she saw something in his hand. He turned to an old woman and said something before turning back to Tessa and giving to her what was in his hand. "Try this"

She looked at it warily. "It's okay" Jem smiled and she took it and bit into it.

A sweet taste exploded in her mouth and she smiled. "Well?" Jem asked and she smiled.

"It's delicious!" Will then appeared beside her with something in his hand too. It looked like a starfish on a stick.

"What in the world is this Jem?" Will pointed at it and Jem laughed. The colour was high in his cheeks and he looked healthy and Tessa knew it wasn't because of the drug. "Someone had given this to me and told me to try it. I did and it tastes awful" Will eyed the food with disgust.

Jem laughed. "I never liked those too. Don't worry" Will sighed in mock-relief and threw the stick into a bin. Tessa finished her sweet treat and threw it away. Jem finished his, binned the stick and took her hand. Tessa was surprised for a moment and Jem smiled at her. "Let me show you something" he started running off and she followed after.

They arrived at a jewelry shop and Tessa was starting to wonder why Jem took her there when he let go of her hand and went on the counter and asked for something. While Tessa waited for Jem, she looked around.

The shop smelled of green tea. There were green walls and there were stands with luxurious necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets hanging from them. There were mirrors set at intervals and a dozen Tessas looked back at her.

Tessa tore her eyes from them as Jem came up beside her. He held a necklace in his hand. It had a silver chain and there was something metallic hanging from it with Chinese characters engraved on the metal. He said something in his foreign tongue. "Peace" he smiled at her. "You always look troubled Tessa. So I bought you this so you can have peace"

Tessa stared at the necklace, shocked and touched by Jem's care. "Jem. You don't-"

"It's alright Tessa" he smiled and told her to turn around. She did and he placed the necklace at her neck. She looked down at the metal with the Chinese word for peace and turned back to Jem with a smile.

"Thanks" Jem smiled back then frowned. "What's wrong?" Tessa worried in an instant. _Did I do something?_, she was starting to wonder when she saw something at her line of sight. She looked up to see a woman reflected in the mirror.

She had a set of bicoloured eyes.

One honey gold.

One pitch black.

Tessa gasped and turned around to find the woman running away.

It was her. She was the one that killed her.

"Come back!" Tessa yelled and she ran after the woman. The woman looked back and smiled at her. "Come back!" Tessa yelled again as she pushed past the crowd who gathered to watch the dragon dance. Tessa wanted to approach her. To tell her how she hated her. To ask her why she killed them. To ask her why she killed _all_ of them.

She felt somebody grab her arm and Tessa turned around sharply to pull her arm back. She turned to see a boy with black hair and midnight-blue eyes staring at her incredulously. "Tessa," he said in an irritated tone, "what-"

Tessa pointed. "It's her!" she screamed at him. Will looked towards the woman who was running away. "She's the one who killed us!" she pointed and people around them turned and looked at them.

Will looked at her for a few hard moments... then he ran. "Stay here!" he yelled back as he ran with Shadowhunter speed.

Tessa was about to follow after him- there is no way anyone's going to tell her what to do -but Isabelle had come behind her and grabbed her shoulder. "No Tessa!" she looked at her and Tessa saw someone else coming. Jem.

"Jem!" he stopped beside her.

"Where's Will? I heard you saying something to him and he just ran off" Jem looked worried.

"He ran after this woman. It's her Jem. She killed you and me" Isabelle gasped as Jem stepped back and looked towards where Will had disappeared. He looked back at Isabelle.

"Take her to the Insittute" he told her as he ran away and after the woman too.

"No!" Tessa yelled after him as Isabelle gripped her arm.

Memories of the night of their deaths flashed back in his mind.

Fire. Blood. Swords. People in dark cloaks. Tessa dying. Jem dying. _Everyone_ dying.

And even he, Will Herondale, could not stop it.

But now, running after the person that gave him that terrible memory, he could make things right.

Her black and gold hair flew behind her and he noticed how fast she was. It was almost Shadowhunter like in speed. He turned a corner and saw a wall and a gate separating the streets. There was an open door to allow people past the barrier and the woman passed through the doorway door and locked the door behind her.

But it wasn't enough to deter him.

The gate was made of steel and was at least twenty feet tall. It was iron and most of the bars were vertical. There were two horizontal bars and Will- running at full speed -jumped on the lowest of these bars and gripped two vertical bars and started climbing to the top. He put his legs over and jumped on the other side and kept running after the woman.

She tried to lose him by taking sharp corners but it was futile as Will was now right behind her. He took out a seraph blade as they entered an alley with a dead end and Will smiled as he whispered into the heavenly blade. "_Abdiel_" the blade flared with a white heavenly light and Will's smile turned into a grin.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain rake his back and pull him backwards. Will turned and slashed at what was behind him and his seraph blade met a fan that was emanating a dark sort of light. When the angel blade and the fan met, it generated electricity and Will looked at whoever held it.

It was a small woman with probably the same race as Jem. She had blood-red lips that smiled at Will and showed off her pearly white fangs. Her eyes- as well as her hair -was of two different colours. One blood red, the other ivory white.

"William Herondale" she sneered at him in her sweet voice and as her fangs sharpened into a needle-like point. Will was startled for a woman was a _vampire_. Vampires can't walk in broad daylight.

But he ignored this. "Glad to see my name's still famous a hundred-thirty years later" he smiled as he pulled back his blade and slashed at the woman again. It was still pointless as the woman's vampire speed had her backflip out of the way in time. She leaned back on her right foot and poised the fan above her and, with a quick motion of her wrist, the fan opened into a semi-circle and Will could suddenly see a razor-sharp blade attached to the edge of the fan. From where Will was, he could see words- Latin words -written on the cloth of the fan.

_Maledicti inertes..._

Cursed are the cowards...

The fan still emanated the dark light and Will could not believe what was in front of him. What type of weapon was it?

The woman made the first move as she lunged for him and brought her mysterious fan down on Will. He blocked it with his blade- sending sparks -and she raised her foot to kick him in the stomach. Will jumped back in time and the woman did a round-house kick to his head. Will blocked that too and he gripped her foot and twisted it as he swooped the blade towards her.

The blade shrieked as it cut the air and collided with the fan again. Sparks jumped out of it and the woman pulled her foot back and did a crescent kick and Will jumped back again. He decided that he should match the woman with her specialty.

He stepped back and ran towards the woman and performed a flying back kick that Jem had taught him. The woman brought her arms up to guard herself and she flew back and landed on the hard concrete ground.

Will smirked as he landed then ran towards her as he brought up his blade and was about to swoop it-

A thick chain wrapped around his wrist. Will swore as the chain pulled him back with enough force to get him off his feet and collide with the back wall of the alley. His body bruised from the impact and he slid off the wall as he felt something warm on his head. Still, he crouched like a lion despite all the pain and looked up to find a _gigantic_ man in front of him. He had a messy appearance and was grinning at him and Will could see his pointed fangs as well as his dog-like ears. "Shadowhunter" the werewolf spat as the vampire woman- who now had dried blood on her arm -laughed beside him. Will looked at his eyes and noticed how it was of two different colours too and it was the same with his hair. One electric green, one cold blue.

"What is it with you people and your obsession with two colours and demonic weapons that clearly came from Hell?" Will said as he noticed that the chain emanated the same dark glow.

The werewolf and the vampire laughed as Will straightened and assessed his situation.

_This is bad_, he thought. _This is very bad. Two Downworlders against one. Sure I can fight any other day, but I only brought one seraph blade with me and on top of that I'm bleeding_. Will swore inwardly as the two Downworlders smiled viciously at him, knowing that they had cornered him.

Still though, William Herondale never backs down from a fight.

He smirked at them and leaned back on his right foot as he held his blazing blade above him. "Come on then" he taunted and the vampire girl stepped forward-

She shrieked and Will watched as the blade that stuck out of her heart was pulled back and the werewolf stepped back to reveal a boy with silver hair and eyes that looked down at the vampire woman who had crumbled into dust, leaving her fan- who had now lost its venomous glow -lying by the ashes. Jem looked back up at Will. "Need help?" he smiled and the werewolf pushed him back.

"Jem!" Will yelled out as his _parabatai_ fell on the hard ground and Will suddenly found anger spreading all over his body. He charged at the werewolf. The werewolf raised the chain and Will ducked it and did an axe kick.

The werewolf stumbled backward and shook his head. Will landed to see blood just above his left eyebrow and the werewolf dashed at him, meanwhile spinning the chain above him like a rope.

Will turned and jumped off the wall behind him as the chain smacked the wall and sent debris and sparks flying. He landed on the werewolf's other side and quickly turned and slashed the back of his legs. The werewolf yelled as Will slashed his back again and he was about to finish it when Jem caught hold of his arm. "Will! Stop it!" Will looked at him and froze. "It's okay" he cocked his head towards the werewolf and Will looked to find the werewolf breathing hard as he fell to the ground, blood staining his shirt and his jeans.

"I'm sorry Jem" Will said and the boy smiled at him.

"It's alright" Jem said as he went to the werewolf and took the chain- whose glow had also doused -and used it to tie the werewolf's hands together. Will went over to help him.

They straightened up as they finished and Will suddenly remembered the woman he was chasing.

He knew he had long lost her, but he still looked at the wall. "I lost her" he said to no one in particular and Jem patted his shoulder as he looked at the vampire's fan.

"That's alright" he looked at the fan. "Maledicti inertes. Cursed are the cowards" he shook his head. "We should show this to Henry. These Downworlders are really odd. That vampire can walk in the sun and-"

Jem never got to finish his sentence for they heard a yell.

A familiar yell that made the two boys running to the other side of the wall in a fraction of a second.

"TESSA!"

Jace looked at Clary warily as they walked around the calmer parts of Chinatown. The livelier parts had dragon dances in honour of a new business opening in the place and to ward off evil spirits to ensure good luck.

Clary was smiling as she looked around, but beyond the happy facade, Jace could see her in pain.

"Stop it Clary" Jace said as they stopped beside a graffitied wall.

Clary looked at him with confusion. "Stop what?"

"That!" he yelled and Clary looked hurt. "I'm sorry" Jace began. "I-"

"It's okay" Clary whispered, almost inaudibly as she hugged herself. "I'm sorry. I know that I look unwell. To tell you the truth, the headache came back"

Jace sighed then hugged her. "It's okay" she hugged him back as Jace pressed his face on her hair and smelled her rich scent. Clary's headache- for some odd reason -really terrified him. It terrified him as much as Clary collapsing in front of him yesterday, which he still hadn't told her and which she somehow hadn't remembered. _What's wrong?_ Jace closed his eyes and Clary started squirming.

Panicked, he let go to find Clary staring at the graffitied wall, a horrified expression on her face.

His protective side kicked in and Jace drew Clary back behind him as he reached for his blade, but it was no use. Still though, what Jace saw was as horrifying as the idea of Valentine coming back to life.

Engraved on the wall among the graffiti, was a swirling black rune Jace had never seen before. Although, it seemed to be two runes he knew and that they were put together, but he just couldn't say what the rune was meant for. "What does that mean?" Jace asked as he tensed up. Something was clearly wrong.

"I don't know" Jace was surprised to hear the words come out of Clary's mouth and looked at her. She was staring at the wall in confusion.

"It's cool ain't it?" someone said beside Jace and he jumped and turned to see a boy with red hair grinning at the wall. "Whoever tagged that there, they even engraved it! It's awesome! And that mark! So exotic!" he smiled.

Jace could feel dread running through his veins. "Y-you can see the rune?" he pointed to the rune and the man nodded. It was as if cold water splashed on Jace.

"I want to draw it on me!" he smiled.

"NO!" Jace and Clary told him and the mundane frowned and stepped back.

"Fine" he frowned at them and turned away, all the while muttering about 'killjoys'.

"I can't believe this" Jace breathed. "What in the Angel is going on?" _Why are there runes etched in the mundane world and how come they can see it?_

"JACE!" he heard a familiar voice yell and Jace turned to see Isabelle running to them. "Jace!" she stopped in front of them as she took in gulps of air. "Tessa! She ran away! The boys ran off somewhere and it was about this person who had killed them but Tessa ran away and I don't know where to find her! Will and Jem are going to kill me! They told me to take her back to the Institute!" Isabelle ranted as Jace looked at her in disbelief.

So many things were happening and they were happening too fast.

And to make it worse, Clary collapsed.

Jace caught her before she fell to the ground and shook her in panic. "Clary!" he yelled as Isabelle put her hand over her mouth and quickly took her phone out of her pocket. "Clary!" the girl didn't respond and Jace swore.

_What in the Angel's name is going on?_

Tessa managed to pull away from Isabelle- thanks to the crowd -and ran after Will and Jem. She ran and ran and soon she found herself unable to find them. She was too slow and she absolutely hated it! She hated being weak! She hated it so much!

She was now lost and wandering around New York's alleyways. She looked up to see the great skyscrapers and sighed heavily at them. Tessa slumped by a wall and looked around her.

She was in a sort of deserted area and to her left was a dead end. There were empty bottles rolling around and paper and pollution littered the floor. Absently, Tessa touched her clockwork angel, but instead met the smooth metal of the necklace that Jem gave her.

She looked down at it and smiled. Jem had been so sweet and she hadn't even thanked him. Tessa now frowned and placed her face on her hands to stop her tears from flowing. _Everything is going wrong and it's supposed to be a good day_.

Suddenly, she heard whispers and she looked up to see a gang of teenage boys looking at her. Tessa gulped and instinctively backed away and realized that she was heading to the dead end. She was about to exit the alley when the boys started advancing toward her. "Looky here" one of them said and Tessa recognised the voice. The boy that said it came closer and Tessa realised that it was the boy that bumped into her earlier. "She's all alone boys!" he yelled back at his friends and Tessa's heart pounded unevenly.

"Stay away" she was meant to say it with courage, but it came out softly. _Tessa!_ she chided herself. _You've faced worse than this!_ Tessa then took a deep breath in as the boys laughed. "Stay away" she hissed at them.

"Ooooh" the boy said. "And what? I don't see your two friends anywhere" he smiled in an ugly way at her and his friends had a dangerous glint in their eyes.

"Hey," one of his friends, one with a scar above his eyebrow started, "she's pretty"

Tessa's heart pounded more unevenly as they made their way to her. She felt frozen. She couldn't move as if their presence alone had the power to do so. The boy she met earlier reached out to her-

She finally found her voice and screamed.

Suddenly, two boys came out of nowhere and landed softly in front of her. "Oh no" the boy she met before said. "It's them"

Will and Jem straightened and Tessa's heart pounded even more. "Now, how about you boys stay away from our friend" Will started. "I'm sure she'd like that very much" he had his seraph blade behind him, so as to hide it from the mundanes.

"It would be wise to respect a lady's wish" Jem said and the gang of teenagers all stepped back.

The boy was telling his group to just leave and they were about to when Will and Jem stepped towards them. "Now don't think you can go without saying sorry" Will said with a smile and the boy shook his head. "Unless..." Will stepped towards them and they suddenly looked at Tessa and apologised.

"Say you won't bother her anymore" Jem said in a rather terrifying tone which seemed unlikely of him. The boys did what he asked and ran off.

They turned to her as she crumpled to the ground.

_What would I do without them?_ Tessa smiled at her princes.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for not updating in so long. Been very busy during Easter with all the family get-togethers and even friend get-togethers. Also, I thought that I needed a break from writing because it's making me go crazy. I can't stop thinking about it and I feel stressed! Sorry for being selfish for the past few days... Forgive me?**

**Anyways, here's chapter thirteen and it was meant to be even longer but since it's already long, I stopped. Besides, I liked the ending of this one like how I liked the ending in chapter ten. **

**Disclaimer: *Sighs heavily* Why do I have to say this many times? It's getting boring. I am not the great Cassandra Clare.**

* * *

-Chapter thirteen-

"We told you to go back to the Institute." Jem said as he and Will dragged the gigantic and bloodied werewolf across the road. They were glamoured of course, but they could not glamour her because she was a warlock. Tessa sighed heavily as she tried to avoid eye contact with them. Even if they had glamoured themselves, they made sure she could still see them.

The sun was starting to set now and they still need to walk all the way back to the Institute. "If only you had listened, this would be easier for us." Will said with a grunt as he shook his head and struggled with the werewolf. Tessa ignored him and kept walking despite how much her feet hurt.

She looked up and instantly saw the dome of the Institute. At its sight, she smiled "Come now Will." Jem said as he looked up to see the Institute too. "You don't have to say that."

"Yes I do!" Will cried out and Tessa sighed heavily. She felt utterly useless just then and Will's remarks were far from comforting.

"Ignore him." Jem smiled and Tessa nodded. She really can't say anything because if she did, people passing by would think she was a lunatic for they'd think that she was talking to herself. "He just likes complaining."

"Ahh, finally." Will said as he noticed the Institute as well. "When I get back, I'd need a foot massage." he looked at Jem. "Care to be my servant James?"

"If you do ask me for that, I'd give you an acupuncture." Will frowned as Jem laughed. Will then turned to Tessa and she ignored him. "I don't think she'd want to be your servant as well."

_Thank you Jem_ she thought to him even if she knew that he couldn't hear her. She then reached up and touched the smooth metal of the necklace he gave her.

"Oh my gosh." Isabelle said as she saw them at the Institute steps, a werewolf being dragged by Will and Jem. Tessa looked at Isabelle and noticed that her eyes looked redder than it was this morning, as if she'd been crying recently. Her usually straight hair was all messy now too. "What happened to _you_?" she said in an incredulous voice then opened the door for them to carry the werewolf through. "Magnus!" she yelled into the Institute and the warlock suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Honestly," Magnus sighed as he put his hand on his hips, "will you three stop it?" he snapped his fingers and the werewolf floated in the air and Magnus started walking away and they followed after while Isabelle closed the doors.

The sparkling warlock pushed back the grate of the elevator and placed the werewolf upright inside. He then followed after and Isabelle went inside with him. Magnus pointed to Tessa, Will and Jem. "You three," he gave them a rather terrifying look, "stay here. I need to talk to you." Isabelle pulled back the grate and pressed the button for the elevator to go up and in seconds, they were gone.

"I wonder what he wants to talk to us about." Tessa said out loud as the whirring of the elevator stopped and she turned to look at the other two.

"Whatever it is," Jem said as he leaned on his cane and as Will suddenly went off somewhere, "it doesn't sound too good." Jem looked behind him. "What are you doing Will?" Will was holding a candelabra and was moving it.

"This is irritating me." he said. "It's not in the right place." he moved it a little to the left and stepped back. "There we go."

Tessa looked at him in incredulity. The first time she met him, she taught he was mad and he was. Jem sighed as she spoke and as the whirring of the elevator stopped "You just moved it."

Will whirled around and walked back to them. "Because it's not lined up with the pews." Tessa gave up with a shrug as she turned to Magnus.

But it wasn't Magnus. It was Jace.

And he looked furious.

"Jace!" Will smiled, a challenge in his tone. However, Jace just looked at him as if he were a demon himself and Will frowned. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's all your fault." he hissed at him and seemed to give Tessa and Jem the same poisonous look he must've given Will. His eyes, Tessa thought, were the colour of a burning sky. A really bright golden colour that flashed and were very visible depite the darkness of the Institute. The golden boy then stalked off and threw the Institute doors open and dashed away.

"What in the name of the Angel is wrong with him?" Will asked as he stared at the entrance and as the elevator whirred up. He turned back and stared at it. "I hope that's Magnus this time." he said in an irritated tone.

Nobody talked as the whirring stopped and started again. Soon, Magnus pushed open the grate and looked at them and at the entrance. "Jace." he whispered and the doors closed as the three of them entered.

"What's wrong with Jace?" Tessa asked as the elevator went up. The first time she rode it- which was that morning -she almost jumped but now, she was used to it. It still fascinated her though. Everything about the new world fascinated her. Clary even told them about the television and showed her and Sophie the iPod. Tessa had listened to the music, but it was far from her liking.

"That's why I need to talk to you?" Magnus said as the elevator stopped and he pushed open the grate. "Come with me" he told them and the three followed him.

"Why should we concern ourselves with that ba-" Will started but Magnus suddenly turned with an unhappy expression.

"Zip it Herondale." he told him. "So many bad things are happening and I know that you know that too so just follow so I can explain it to you and so that all the bad things happening will be reduced." he turned around again and started walking away. They followed him and this time, Will managed to keep his mouth shut.

They soon arrived at a room and Magnus snapped his fingers and tea appeared on the coffee table. The room- as Tessa noticed -was the same one that they were in when Clary was explaining what she did to make them come back to life.

She sat down while Will and Jem sat on a different couch. Magnus snapped his fingers again and blue fire appeared.

For a moment, no one said anything. Magnus stared at the fireplace and the cracking blue fire, his back to them. He then turned around and sighed heavily as he sat on the couch across from them. "Clary collapsed today." Magnus said and Tessa shifted in her seat.

"Is she alright?" she asked and Magnus nodded.

"Yes but that's not the point!" Magnus cried out and Tessa jumped. She had never seen him so angry. She'd never seen him look terrified either. It was as if something big was troubling him. "You see, there are certain rules necromancy has to follow and one of these is that for a life you ask, you have to give something in replace." Magnus calmed and closed his eyes. "Clary presented none, she will be taken as the sacrifice and what makes it worse is that there are seven of you that she brought back to life."

Shocked, Tessa's mouth opened and she suddenly remembered when Clary had a headache that morning. "So," she began in a shaky voice. She had grown fond of Clary. She had been very nice to her and helped her out. "Are you saying that she's going to die?"

Magnus nodded his head grimly and Tessa felt a hand squeeze her heart. _No_, she couldn't believe it. _Clary's going to die because of me_, it was a painful thing to have somebody die because of you and Tessa can't believe that it was not the end. _First Agatha and Thomas, then the others had died too and now Clary? I barely even knew her_.

"And that's why Jace is mad." Will spoke for the first time. Magnus nodded his head again.

Magnus swallowed hard, as if trying to swallow back something terrible. "It is also against Heaven's creed to do necromancy and Clary's a Nephilim. She has angel blood- even more than the normal Shadowhunter -and it is so dangerous for this to happen to Nephilim."

Surprised, Will raised his eyebrow in a questioning expression. "Even more?" he asked and Magnus waved his question away. It seems as if it didn't matter for now.

"I'll explain next time." he sighed and stood up. "It's a long story. Anyways, the main problem now is Clary is going to die and I have no idea when, there is this big Shadowhunter problem going on, you found that werewolf and there are runes engraved on walls that mundanes can see. The world is going mad." he finished as his arms dropped to his sides.

Suddenly, there was movement at the corner of Tessa's eye. "What?" Will and Jem yelled as they seemed to tense up.

"There are runes that mundanes can see?" Will said in a horrified tone as he stood up. "Where?"

"It's at Chinatown. Jace told Maryse and she's telling the Clave." Magnus walked to the fireplace again.

"But this is bad." Jem said. "Really bad. If mundanes see runes, they may be tempted to copy it! And what did that rune mean Magnus?"

"Jace told me that they don't know. It seemed new, but it's like two runes put together but the meaning is all blurry. In fact," Magnus turned around, "Jace told me that there was a mundane that wanted to copy it already."

"No" Will whispered. "That can't happen. If they do that they'd turn to Forsaken. By the Angel, what if they all copied it?" he swore and Tessa shifted in her seat.

"But won't you need a stele to do that?" Tessa asked them.

Magnus shook his head. "Not necessarily. Runes are the angel's script and they're very powerful enough on their own. Besides, that rune could actually even allow humans to imprint it on themselves and have that power without turning them to Forsaken." he shook his head. "Why now?" he trailed off into silence and Tessa bowed her head.

_If only we didn't die- because of me -then Clary wouldn't be in pain and she wouldn't die..._ she sighed and looked up again when Magnus asked something.

"So what is the dealio with that werewolf?" he asked Will and Jem. Will was pacing up and down while Jem leaned on his cane and looked outside with a thoughtful expression. Tessa looked outside too and beyond the window, she saw leaves starting to fall as streetlamps flickered to life.

"I was following this woman." Will's icy voice cut through Tessa's thoughts like a blade and suddenly, she saw _her_ behind her eyes. "She's the one that killed us a hundred and twenty-nine years ago."

Magnus looked at Will steadily. "Are you sure?" Will stopped pacing and looked back at Tessa and they looked at each other for a few seconds. "I didn't really see her that night." he said then turned back towards Magnus. "Tessa did."

Magnus looked at her and Tessa nodded. "I'm sure it's her and she looked exactly the same. I don't understand how that happened, maybe she can live forever, I don't know." Tessa looked down at her shaking hands as she explained. "I just know that she threw that knife at me." her voice wavered when she said 'threw'.

"I see." Magnus said as he raked his spiky hair back. "But I still don't see how this relates to the werewolf." he sighed.

"I was following her when suddenly this vampire attacks me and as I was about to kill the vampire, the werewolf came. Then Jem came and helped me out not," he looked at Jem with a smile, "that I need helping."

"This is no time to be fooling around William." Magnus told him off and he shrugged. "And then I suppose you lost her?" Will nodded grimly.

"Perhaps they were protecting her and that's why they arrived. What I don't get is that the vampire can walk in the sun and she's conspiring with a werewolf! They're supposed to hate each other." Will stopped pacing and turned to Magnus. "Also, the Downworlders have bicouloured eyes and hair and they were holding this demonic weapon and if I try and hit it with my seraph blade, it sparks."

Tessa then stood up and all three of them looked at her. "That woman has bicouloured eyes and hair too!"

"Could the traitor and all these attacks and our death be related?" Jem asked and Magnus suddenly froze.

"We need a meeting." he looked up at the three of them. "Now. Call everyone to this room in five minutes. Even Clary. Henry and Charlotte and the two other girls are also back. I'll look for Jace." they nodded and dashed out of the room to look for the others.

"What?" Jace hissed beside Clary. Magnus had just told them the incident with the Downworlders. He was already unhappy that they waked up Clary who was now trying her best to stay awake. She had said that all her headaches had passed but that she was just sleepy, but no one believed her. Surprised and clearly annoyed at their concerned eyes, she kept quiet while doing her best to look fine. "And you're saying that everything happening is connected? How about those runes?"

"Perhaps that one is not connected." Isabelle said as she leaned against the wall and everyone agreed. Well at least those who were active. Jessamine was just staring off into space. "We'll think about that later."

"Do you have one of those demonic weapons you were talking about?" Henry asked out of curiosity and Jem took something from his jeans pocket. It was a fan with razor-sharp blades at the edge. He passed it to Henry and he flicked it open. "_Maledicti inertes_... Cursed are the cowards." Henry then started inspecting the fan, turning it this way and that. He then stood up and told everyone to be ready because he's going to throw the fan.

"Why?" Will asked with fear in his voice. "It's razor-edged in case you didn't notice."

"That's why I said duck." Henry smiled and leaned back on his right foot as he readied himself to throw the fan.

"Henry," Charlotte began, "I don't-"

But Henry already threw the fan and it spun like a boomerang and whistled as it cut the air and made a loop. Isabelle squealed and ducked as the fan almost shaved her hair off and Will jumped out of the way before it could slice his chest. Jessamine screamed as she put her hands on her head and Henry ducked as it came back to him and it embedded on the hallway wall. "HENRY!" everyone- except for Sophie who just looked at the fan in worry and Maryse who held a poisonous glare -all told him off and Henry's shoulders slumped as he took the fan off the wall.

"I just wanted to see if it's aerodynamic." he then looked back at the fan. "And I wanted to see how lethal of a weapon it was. It's very well built." Magnus then came beside him and took it out of his grasp.

"Still," Magnus gave him a stinkeye, "you could have hurt Alec" he pointed to Alec who was leaning on the fireplace with wide blue eyes. Magnus then opened the fan and fanned himself. "So this thing is owned by that vampire who can walk in the sun." Isabelle gasped and Tessa turned to the girl.

"Like Simon!" she was wide-eyed.

"Simon?" Will asked as he finally drew his poisonous glare from Henry. "Who's that?"

"He's my boyfriend and I suppose in your times you'd call that a lover." Isabelle smiled proudly while Tessa's mouth dropped open.

"You're lover's a vampire?" Will asked, disbelief colouring his tone, and Isabelle smiled proudly. "Well that's expected from a Lightwood." Isabelle then glared at him and Magnus snapped his fingers to regain attention.

"We're getting sidetracked!" he reminded everyone and they listened in. "Anyways, if the owner of this is trying to protect that woman and if this entire thing is connected, then maybe if we asked her werewolf friend what's going on, then we'd find out what's happening." Magnus nodded. "The problem is whether he'll co-operate with us."

"Or we can just have a Silent Brother come over." Maryse suggested.

"But the Silent Brothers doesn't like being called all the time when something goes wrong. Besides, that'll take time and we need to find out these things as soon as we can." Jace finally spoke. "There are more important things we need to take care of." everyone knew he meant Clary. Clary however had no idea what was going on with her.

Tessa sighed. She closed her eyes to think and to settle all the troubling thoughts so she can think clearly. If only there was a faster way to know what they're thinking then-

Suddenly, an idea blossomed in Tessa's mind and she stood up and everyone looked at her.

"I have an idea."

They were in the Sanctuary of the New York Institute and everyone was watching as Tessa held the fan in front of her. They had gone down there because if Tessa Changed and stayed in consecrated ground, she'd start burning. "Are you sure Tessa?" Jem asked and she smiled.

She was standing beside a pillar similar to the one in the London Institute's Sanctuary and she drew the wispy cloth closer around her. "I haven't helped in a while and I should." she looked down at the fan as Jem stepped back with a nod and watched with everyone.

Tessa did what she had learned from the Dark Sisters and made sure that she also clutched the dress close to herself. In case the vampire was small, she didn't want the dress to fall off. She then closed her eyes and waited for the flicker of light at the back of her mind.

A flame alighted and Tessa made her way for it, reaching out to the warmth at the back of her mind. Finally, she reached it and a sense of being covered in a blanket started and Tessa drew it closer to her and suddenly, memories of the vampire woman flashed before her mind.

They were all so fast, like Tessa was flicking through a book only that everything she saw was burned to her mind, and she saw the vampire woman and the werewolf. She then saw two other Downworlders; a warlock and a faerie. The faerie was a beautiful female that was grinning at her and the warlock was beside the traitor and was casting a spell over him. The traitor left and the warlock fluttered his bat-wings and turned to the vampire woman. The vampire woman then turned to see a hooded figure in front of her. The figure raised their hood and-

_Tessa Grey_.

Tessa's eyes flashed open and she leaned on the pillar as she felt a sharp pain in her mind. Suddenly, she heard Magnus yell something and ran to her and took away the fan. Tessa allowed herself to Change back to herself and as she Changed, the pain dulled. She looked up at the people who stared at her in wonder and horror. "Tessa," Clary stepped forward, "are you alright?"

She nodded, breathless. "What did you see?" Jace asked.

"I saw these Downworlders and the traitor and this hooded figure. I was about to find out what they looked like when somebody whispered in my mind and took me back." Tessa gasped and looked up at them. "I'm sorry. That's all I know." Magnus patted her shoulder as her head bowed.

"That's alright." he smiled at her. "We'll get the Silent Brothers to come take a look at the werewolf but we need permission first." Magnus turned to Marsye and she nodded and left the room, probably to contact the Clave, again. "The Clave must be really irritated with us now."

"We can't help it" Alec said. "We just discover so many things"

"We're too lucky" Jem said as he walked towards Tessa and stood next to her. "Are you alright?" she nodded and Jem smiled at her. "You did well."

"No." Tessa said with anger evident in her voice. "I didn't even find anything. I'm so useless" she threw her arms in the air in exasperation and Jem frowned at her.

"No," he shook his head, "you're not. You've just told us that they were with the traitor so this does mean that it's connected. You also said that you saw Downworlders. Maybe one of them is the warlock that helped the traitor"

"What did he look like?" Magnus asked.

Tessa thought back to the memory and instantly found the warlock. "He had bat wings and one eye purple, the other yellow and it was the same with his hair" Tessa explained while Magnus nodded.

"Any special features?" he asked and Tessa looked back again.

She nodded. "He has an earring on his left ear and he has a tattoo across the back of his hand that looks like a snake." Magnus grinned at her and went over to Alec, gave him a quick kiss, and ran off. Tessa stared at Alec who was blushing.

"You don't see that everyday." Will said in a rather mocking tone all and Alec gave him a glare and walked off.

"You don't see a surprised you much either." Isabelle said in defense of her brother. "You should, it's really funny."

Beside Tessa, Jem made a choking sound.

She put on the nightgown that she had borrowed from Isabelle- it was perfect for they were almost the same height -and left the bathroom and walked into her room as she closed the door behind her. Tessa made her way for the bed, drew the covers around her and turned off the light.

The room was swallowed by darkness and Tessa turned on her side as she willed herself to sleep.

But she can't.

There were too many things she heard tonight and they didn't help her fight to sleep. First of all, what were they to do with Clary's problem? Tessa felt utterly responsible for it and she also felt responsible for how the woman came and how her followers started attacking them.

There were also things going on with her life that didn't help. She still didn't know exactly what she was or how she became like that, she still grieved over her brother's betrayal and Thomas and Agatha's deaths, Will's still a mystery-

_Wait_, Tessa thought as she suddenly sat up straight, _Don't think about Will_ Tessa she chided herself and pushed her curls away from her face as she sighed heavily.

After much debating with herself, Tessa heaved herself off the bed and decided to go get a drink. She opened the door to her room and let in the harsh glow of the witchlight. She blinked against the sudden brightness as she walked down the hallway.

It had only been a few minutes when she just realised her mistake. She was lost. _Oh no_, Tessa sighed and turned around to find her way back to her room- surely she could retrace her steps -when she froze at the sight of midnight-blue eyes and black hair.

He was wearing a loose shirt, a loose pair of trousers and an amused expression. "Lost?" Will asked and Tessa's heart fluttered and she hit herself mentally at her stupidity. She glared at the boy and walked her way around him when he spoke. "That," she could hear him smirk, "is not the way to your room Miss Grey."

Frustrated, Tessa whirled around and fixed him a cold stare that she wished cut deep into him. "What? Are you here to mock me? Fine. Go ahead." she threw her hands up in the air and turned back to keep walking in the same direction, as long as she was far from him.

"No," his voice suddenly turned soft and it made Tessa stop. She hated to do it though. "I am here to help you find your way back." Tessa looked back at him at the corner of her eyes. "Like a guiding light." he grinned.

"I doubt you're much of a light." Tessa replied harshly and Will's grin reduced to a smile. Something about his smile looked odd to Tessa's eyes. But yet, she knew she shouldn't notice such things.

She sighed while assessing the situation. She just couldn't wander for the entire night, searching for her room. There were many rooms in the Institute and she needed sleep to help. Perhaps she could endure his presence for a little bit. After all, she had endured it other times. However, she may have just endured it for she wasn't alone with him. But she would be if she accepted his help. Also, accepting his help doesn't help her for she knew he'd be gloating about it.

Tessa sighed inwardly once again. These were times when she needed to decide quickly.

She looked back at Will as she made her decision.

They were walking around the hallways, pretending that the other was merely a ghost.

He led the way and Tessa, with her arms crossed over her chest, followed after. Now she thought about it, how did he know his way around already? Where did he also come from before? He just appeared without a sound.

Although, those were the things that made him who he was.

"That woman," his voice cut through her thoughts and the silence and Tessa almost froze on the spot again. Was he actually talking to her? "I almost caught her because we arrived at a dead end, but as you know, I got stopped and I had thought she found her way over the wall. You were on the other side, didn't you see her?"

Tessa thought about his question. If the woman had gone over that wall, she'd have seen her running off, unless she disappeared the other way or already disappeared when she got there. Nevertheless, there was only one answer. "No" she limited the amount of words she could say to him. She didn't want to talk to him.

Will- to her surprise -laughed and Tessa wondered what was so funny about her answer. Maybe he just found everything amusing, but it got to her nerves when he didn't stop. "Stop that!" she told him off. "What's so funny?" her hands balled into fists as her arms dropped to her sides.

"Nothing" he whispered and stopped beside a door. Tessa looked at it, opened the door and looked inside. Sure enough, it was her room. "Well it had been wonderful guiding you back to your room Miss Grey." she turned to him as he walked off.

For some reason, she wanted to run to him and demand why he was acting so odd and why he had been so harsh back at the attic and why he always looked sad and pained under his amused facade. Questions buzzed around Tessa's head and stung her mind like wasps and she desperately wanted to ask these questions, but only one managed to escape her mouth.

"What's wrong Will?" the boy stopped and she thought she saw the set of his shoulders stiffen, but it disappeared so quickly she wasn't sure if she just imagined it.

Tessa heard his smirk. "Perhaps I'll tell you one day," he then cocked his head, "and then maybe I won't." he finished and walked away, leaving Tessa with more questions buzzing around her head than before.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for not getting this chapter in early. I just thought that I was updating way too fast and that I should take things slowly. Slow is good. We all heard the story of the hare and the tortoise didn't we? Also, this might be the last chapter I'll be able to put in just until my second term ends. School's only three days away- :( -and like I said, I need to take it slowly. **

**I'm really sorry. Although, on the good side, I'll put in some teasers and I'll try to put some more this time. **

**So yeah. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm sorry!**

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare. Obviously! **

* * *

-Chapter Fourteen-

He hoped desperately that everything would be fine at the Institute while he was gone. He believed that everything would only be fine if he was there to control them.

Magnus Bane sighed as he raked his spiky hair back, making glitter shower down on the sidewalk like rain. He looked up at the run-down building in front of him. The harsh glow of the moonlight illuminated the run-down building in front of him. He found it surprising that, for an abandoned building in New York, it wasn't defaced with graffiti.

Or maybe it's frightening appearance repelled any chances of anyone vandalising it. Some parts of the walls were starting to fall apart and the arched windows were broken. The parts of the walls that did stay together had moss growing on the cracks and mice scurrying in and out on the holes. There were a series of cracked stone steps towards the once was a beautiful set of French doors and dead plants bowed in front of the bay windows. Towering cider trees surrounded the house and Magnus sighed once again. He hated it when beautiful things were broken or aged away. It loses its charm.

The thought suddenly reminded him of Will and the night he came to Camille's estate, looking so vulnerable and shaken. He remembered the way his midnight-blue eyes glinted with crazy sadness and how his voice shook in fear, his wet hair hanging over his weary face. Magnus remembered that night very clearly and the way the boy pleaded for his help. He had tried helping him, but he never had a chance to really do anything for they had died.

Magnus sighed as he realised that he was thinking of the past. He didn't want to do that, but their presence encouraged it. He shook his head to concentrate on his task and was about to march towards the house when he heard a soft rustling behind him and saw a flash of blue eyes. Will. Magnus sighed for what seemed like the thouandth time and turned towards the annoying Nephilim. "Will, just come out."

"I'm not Will." A familiar voice said and Magnus instantly regretted jumping to conclusions. "I'm Alec," A boy with similar features stepped out of the shadows to face the frozen warlock. "So you'd mistake me for him huh?" He said in a sulky voice.

"Alexander" Magnus started but Alec ignored him and stomped towards the French doors, a displeased edge to his footsteps. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"What else? To investigate." He said without turning to him and Alec was about to turn the doorknob when Magnus gripped his shoulder. "What?" He turned around, angry.

"First of all, don't get mad at me and I already told you." Magnus let go of his shoulder as soon as Alec let go of the doorknob. "I had no relationships with Will!" Magnus cried out and Alec looked unconvinced. "Fine. Second, be careful. There are a lot of traps in a warlock's lair."

"I know that." Alec said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm a Shadowhunter."

"Then step back." Magnus wiggled his fingers when Alec raised his eyebrows. "I'm a warlock." He smiled as Alec moved out of his way and Magnus looked at the doorknob and let sparks fly off the tips of his fingers. Nothing. "It's safe." He smiled at Alec- who was still sour -and opened the door without a word, letting the moonlight wash over the dirty floor and a grand staircase. The first floor smelled like dust and years of aging. Alec held up his witchlight, letting light pour over the room as Magnus closed the door behind him. They looked up and found a grand chandelier, the crystals hanging off it sparkling slightly at the glow of the witchlight.

They made their way up the stairs while keeping a watchful eye. "So what is this warlock's name?" Alec's question cut through the silence.

Magnus snorted. "Ivan Warnock, funnily enough." He looked at a door and pointed for them to make their way there. Magnus, being the High Warlock of Brooklyn, can feel the power that emanates of certain things and some, he can feel even more. That door right there, emanated a sort of dark power and he knew it was the right door. "He's a newbie warlock so it's easier for him to fall on the dark side and he did."

Alec said nothing in response and Magnus felt a bit desperate and displeased. "Stop it Alex-"

"Stop calling me that!" Alec yelled and his voice echoed all over the place. Magnus froze and worried for an instant if somebody heard them. "Call me Alec!"

"Shush" Magnus chided him, but it only seemed to fuel Alec's anger.

His blue eyes lit up. "Don't-"

Suddenly, the chandelier gave away with a creak and crashed to the floor. The two looked at the crystals scattered all over the floor and the depression the impact created on the tiled floor. Dust showered down on them and Alec ruffled his black hair while Magnus smiled at him. He looked like a child to him just then, his blue eyes bright against the darkness, saying that he's unhappy.

Magnus' heart started pounding unevenly and he stepped towards the boy to give it one more chance to persuade him. He took another step-

Suddenly, there was an orange spark and Alec was sailing through the air. Magnus watched as he crashed to the wall and slid down to the floor. "Alec!" Magnus yelled out and he felt his hands shake in anger and in seconds, sparks surrounded him. "You..." he trailed off as he heard insane laughter and as Ivan Warnock made his way towards him up the stairs. Magnus raised his hands and waved them in front of him and as he did blue sparks surrounded sections of the banister and tore apart from the railings. With another motion, the pieces- which looked sharp and splintered indeed -charged towards the warlock like angry wasps.

However, the warlock blocked it off in time and Warnock laughed then pulled his hand back and, with a rather exaggerated move, swung it in front of him. An orange slash appeared and made its way towards Magnus and he blocked it in time. Warnock laughed once again and looked towards a motionless Alec. "Shame on you Bane." He grinned at him and Magnus charged at him, his arm pulled back, sparks surrounding his fist. He was about to punch Warnock when- all of a sudden -he disappeared in a bunch of smoke and Magnus stopped and swore.

_For a newbie, he's good which doesn't make him a newbie at all_, he thought grimly then remembered Alec and dashed towards him. "ALEC!" Magnus yelled as he stopped beside him, reached down and held him in his arms. The boy was unconscious and Magnus felt a hand squeeze his heart. He wasn't breathing either. _To have those blue eyes closed off forever..._ he trailed off as he laid Alec on the floor and raised both of his hands. He rubbed them together and sparks flew between them. Then he pressed it on Alec's chest like a defibrillator and Alec's eyes flew open and his breathing, however rough, started.

But he knew he was fine and Magnus hugged him. _Who cares if Warnock got away?_ he smiled as Alec hugged him back, however weakly.

"Isabelle!" Magnus yelled as they made it to the Institute doors. He raised his hand in front of him and sparks flew to the door. Suddenly, the doors threw themselves wide open like wings. "Jace!" He kept yelling as he dragged injured Alec into the room and as he made him sit on one of the pews. He had fallen to sleep on the way and Magnus had to drag him all the way back to the Institute. It was a good thing he started those exercises he saw on mundane television.

Suddenly, the elevator whirred and, soon, a grate was pushed back with a feminine gasp. "Alec!" Isabelle yelled as she dashed to her brother's side and as she helped Magnus carry him up. They arrived at the elevator and Magnus quickly shut the grate, pushed the button and the elevator went up. Beside him, Isabelle kept whispering her brother's name over and over again. Magnus liked Alec's sister and it hurt him to see her look so terrified especially when he told her that they must not let what Clary did happen again. He knew that she was thinking of poor Max Lightwood then. "How is he Magnus?" She asked him as the elevator stopped and as Magnus slung Alec's arm over his shoulders. "Is he okay?"

"Izzy," Magnus grunted as he grabbed hold of Alec and Isabelle helped him out, "_calm down_." He enunciated the words and Isabelle nodded then yelled for the others.

Together, the two dragged Alec into the infirmary just as Jace arrived with Clary. Maryse, Charlotte and Henry came soon after followed closely by Sophie, Jem, Tessa and Will. Jessamine was nowhere to be seen but Magnus hardly cared for the girl. She was just dragged into the problem by against her will.

Magnus laid Alec on a bed as he started sending sparks everywhere around Alec to cure his cuts and bruises. "What on earth happened Magnus?" Tessa asked as she came up behind him.

Magnus turned to see everyone looking at Alec and him with concern and surprise. "I went to Warnock's house and he attacked us. I was about to catch him when he disappeared and then I went to Alec." Charlotte gasped while the others listened in, some sat down while others remained standing.

"Warnock? Is that the warlock that helped the traitor?" She asked and Magnus tried very hard to control his frustration. It was hard to concentrate when somebody is asking you questions you don't want to answer. It's even harder to concentrate on saving the life of someone that mattered to you.

Magnus nodded in reply and he sighed in gratitude when no one asked anymore questions. They must be thinking about what to do next.

Soon, Alec's wounds were cured and Magnus let his hands down as he collapsed at the end of the bed. "Looks like we'll never get that warlock," he heard Maryse say with a sigh as she sat by Alec and brushed his hair out of the way. "But that's alright because the Silent Brothers will be sending someone here tomorrow. They'll be very happy to search through the werewolf's mind. They told me that they don't like what's happening as well with all the runes coming up." She then looked at everyone with a really serious and terrifying expression. "They told me that they have heard news of Shadowhunters finding runes in Spain.

"Spain?" Clary asked and- suddenly -her phone rang and she fished it out of her pocket. Magnus turned his head and saw everyone except for Jace, Maryse and Isabelle looking at Clary and her phone conversation. "Yeah. That's happening here too mom." She said and she nodded then her eyes grew wide. "No! That's alright. Stay there with Luke. They need you there mom. We'll be fine here. I have Jace." Clary smiled at her boyfriend and Jace smiled back, however in a pained way that Clary looked at for a few seconds until she remembered that Jocelyn was on the phone. "Okay. Bye, you too."

"Who's that?" Will asked as Clary pressed the 'end call' button.

"It's my mom. She was just telling me about runes they discovered in the shopping districts in Spain. She told me it was a very popular place too." Clary hugged herself while explaining and Jace stood beside her. Everyone else seemed to lapse into silence except for Henry and Charlotte who started whispering to each other about 'plans' and 'investigations'. Even Magnus himself had started thinking into the problems. They were puzzling indeed and it made it hard that they did not know the enemies' objectives.

"Tell her not to worry." Jace smiled at her and Clary smiled back. "Jace will solve the mystery." He said with a pained tone under and Clary gave him that look again.

_Careful Jace_, Magnus thought as Will laughed. The warlock turned to the boy and everyone else did too.

"You? You mean _I_ will solve this mystery." He gloated and Jace stared at him with loathing. Magnus could feel the fight coming now and he sat up straight and readied himself for the two.

Jace was about to make his move and so was Magnus when Jem boldly stepped between the two, his hands raised in a peaceful gesture. "Now you two." He said slowly as he looked at the both of them with a serious expression. "_We_ will solve this mystery. There is no 'I' in team after all"

"Beati pacifici my friend but gah," Will said as he turned away from Jace and to Jem, "Who says that we're a team?"

Jace was about to agree when Maryse stood up and everyone looked at her expectantly. "Actually," she smiled, "you two are. _We_ all are. The Clave has decided, in part with the Conclave, that we will be investigating things happening here." At the news, the two Herondales gave each other glares and turned away from each other with a stubborn set to their jaw. Clary smiled at Jace while Jem patted his _parabatai_'s shoulder. "And I suppose we should start by looking for more of the members of this group for interrogation. Henry," Maryse turned to Henry who had raised his head in response to his name, "you're job is to find anything in their weapons that might be helpful." Henry nodded with a smile. Maryse then turned to Jace, Will, Jem, Tessa and Clary. "You, including Isabelle and Alec, will be working on finding these members of this organisation. Tessa, I saw what you could do and I think you could help us if that is what you desire." Tessa nodded with a smile and Maryse took that as a sign of willingness. She then turned to Will and Jace. "As for Jace and Will," she fixed them with a furious expression that didn't even unnerve the two, "please try and get along with each other."

Charlotte then took a step towards Maryse. "What does the rest do then?" Charlotte asked and Maryse gave her a smile.

"You and I with Magnus would be finding different information. We will be interrogating some very important people. Sophie and Jessamine, I'm sure they'll be much more happy inside." Maryse smiled at Sophie who looked relieved.

"Then the investigation begins!" Magnus cried out. He actually found it exciting, though dangerous, but really exciting. "This is awesome! It's like NCIS or CSI and you guys-" Magnus gestured to the group of young people in front of him, "-are like the field team and we are like the stay-back-and-boss-you-around team!" Maryse fixed him a glare which he ignored. "Ooooh! This is so-"

Suddenly, there was a feminine scream and Isabelle's head snapped up from her brother. For the past couple of minutes, she was just looking at her brother, nodding along to what her mother's saying though Magnus wasn't quite sure if she understood them. "That's Jessamine." She whispered and Will sighed.

"Ignore her," he said in an indifferent tone. "Maybe she just found a mouse or-"

"HELP!" Jessamine cried out and no one made a move, unsure or not whether if what she cried about was worth running off to. "The werewolf's escaped!"

Jace and Will bolted into action and dashed out of the room, closely followed by Jem, Clary, Tessa and Magnus. He heard the other's footsteps behind him as they dashed to where they locked up the werewolf.

They ran around the hallways until they made it to a door that was thrown open with Jessamine standing on the doorway. "Jessie!" Will yelled and she moved away. Will and Jace bolted into the room, the light of their seraph blades burning like stars. Magnus heard a gasp and he arrived at the scene and gasped as well.

There was a room illuminated by the light from the seraph blades in front of him and on the floor were the pair of silver manacles that they used to keep the werewolf immobile. The manacles were still closed, but the werewolf was gone. "Jessie!" Magnus turned to Jessamine who looked terrified. "What happened?"

Everyone- except Alec and Sophie who must've stayed behind to watch after the Alec -had now stopped and listened to Jessamine's explanation. "I was walking down the hallway when I heard a thud from this door. Curious, I opened it and saw a warlock helping the werewolf. As soon as they saw me, the warlock smiled at me and they disappeared into a puff of smoke." Jessamine whimpered and Magnus sighed.

"It's Warnock." Magnus heard Jace curse under his breath. "He's the only warlock I ever saw that could do something like that. It's unnatural."

"Well," Will shook his head, "there goes our lead. The Silent Brothers won't be happy."

Magnus couldn't help but feel angered. _I let him escape. I could do better than that..._

Clary sighed as she looked out the window. Everything had been so terrible lately and what annoyed her most was that everyone seemed to worry so much about her.

_This is so irritating!_ she screamed in her mind as she closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her eyelids. She was looking out the window of her room, waiting for Jace to come to her that morning so they could go to breakfast together. It was becoming an unnecessary routine that she found pleasing.

She looked out of the window to block out all the problems and smiled at the familiar scene before her. Cars were stuck on traffic and people rushed to their jobs. From where she was, she could see a man nearly get run over and a little ways away she could see homeless people starting to wake up. Layering over all of this was, of course, the polluted air and Clary smiled when Will and Jem had smelt it. Will had started complaining of course while Jem simply wrinkled his nose. Jem, as she noticed, was such a gentleman.

Suddenly, a knock on her door cut through her reminiscing and she turned to see Jace leaning on the doorway, a cool smile lingering on his lips. "Good morning."

"Good morning." She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. Clary looked at that smile once again. It looked so odd to her that she found it scary. She was about to ask Jace what was wrong- because, clearly, there was something wrong -when he appeared in front of her all of a sudden and pulled her in for a kiss. She easily melted into it and all other thoughts disappeared.

They must've stood like that there for a long time, but Jace pulled back and led her to breakfast. Maybe the kiss every morning was one of the things she found pleasing in the routine.

"Clary!" Isabelle beamed at her as they descended the stairs. Clary smiled at her- for Isabelle looked a lot better since last night -and at the others. Jem, Tessa, Sophie, Jessamine, Magnus and a cured Alec were there, eating chocolate-flavoured pancakes. Will, surprisingly, was nowhere to be found. "Good news! Simon's coming today and he's going to help us out!"

"What?" Clary froze where she was. "Izzy! Did you just drag Simon into this? How could you do that?" She asked and the beautiful girl merely shrugged while Jace led her to her seat. "Izzy!"

"What else am I supposed to do? He wanted to come you know and I just couldn't turn down the offer." Isabelle smiled while Tessa cleared her throat to gain Isabelle's attention.

"Isabelle, and please forgive me if this offends you in any way, but I do remember you telling us that Simon is your lover and that he is a vampire..." Tessa trailed off as she bit her lip in nervousness and Isabelle laughed.

"Oh! No need to worry Tessa! Simon will behave himself" Tessa sighed in relief as Clary speared her pancake grimly.

_Why Izzy?_ Clary thought as she popped the pancake into her mouth.

Simon jogged towards the Institute, a panicked edge to his footsteps.

Isabelle had called him last night to inform him about Clary's 'condition' and he instantly worried for her, of course. She had also said that maybe Clary will feel better if her best friend was around. So she invited him to their investigation today and all he just had to do was pretend that he offered to help and Simon could only agree with Isabelle's plans.

So he called his band mates and told them that he couldn't attend band practice because of something concerning Isabelle, bid goodbye to his worried mother whose expression as he left the house made him want to cry and headed to the Institute.

Finally, he was only a couple of metres from the Institute steps when he stopped at a sight of a boy with pitch-black hair dashing towards him with a seraph blade in hand.

Simon only had enough time to register that the boy was a Shadowhunter so he didn't get a chance to do anything while the boy grabbed hold of his collar and held a seraph blade- which thankfully wasn't blazing -inches from Simon's throat. "Hey-" Simon started but the boy cut him off.

"Be quiet vampire and perhaps I'll consider making your death quick and painless." Simon met the boy's peculiar midnight-blue eyes and his own eyes suddenly widened.

"Trust me," Simon started while the boy looked at him with narrowed eyes, "you don't want to do that." Simon haven't seen how Mark of Cain worked yet and he certainly do _not_ want a Shadowhutner being the first victim. It would arise tension between Nephilim and the vampires which would not help at all.

"Is that a threat?" The boy hissed at him with a terrifying grin and as the blade made its way closer to Simon's throat.

"No!" Simon yelled. "Can we talk about this?" Simon decided to talk to the boy slowly and then he'll tell him he's friends with Clary. Surely he knows Clary. After the battle at Borcelind Plain, surely _everyone_ knows Clary.

"No" The boy's piercing gaze looked oddly familiar to Simon and his attitude reminded him of someone but that thought was lost in his fear for the boy. "But if you tell me why you came here then maybe I'll drop the blade." Simon nodded and the boy raised an eyebrow at him. "Tell me."

"I came here for a friend. Her name is Clary Morgenstern. She called me to come to the Institute." Simon explained then the boy started laughing and Simon sighed slightly when the blade dropped an inch.

"Really?" The boy gave him an incredulous look. "And what is your name vampire who is a friend of a Shadowhunter?" He was mocking Simon, but Simon didn't care as long as this boy didn't die.

"I'm Simon Lewis." Simon smiled and the boy nodded and he whispered something. Suddenly, the blade lit up like a star and Simon tried his best to avoid the blade.

"Thank you Simon. I'll be sure to tell Clary that a vampire named Simon claimed he was in acquaintance with her." Simon started shaking his head and the Shadowhunter grinned. "Oh and just so you know. The handsome young man that's about to kill you right now is Will Herondale and that you are lucky to die in his hands." Simon's mouth dropped open as the boy pulled back his arm and as he heard Herondale.

No wonder the boy reminded Simon of someone. He reminded him of Jace's arrogance. "Your Jace's relative?" He asked and the boy suddenly stopped and gave him a cold hard stare, his eyes looking like a frozen ocean.

"What? You know Jace?" Will asked with confusion then his eyes widened. "Wait. You just asked me if I'm his relative. Are you saying that Jace is a Herondale?" Simon nodded and the boy's mouth dropped in surprise and in what seemed like understanding.

Suddenly, he could hear someone- a girl -scream and Simon and Will turned to see Isabelle dashing towards them, looking like she just saw a Ravener demon and she was sure of beheading it. "Step away form my boyfriend!" she screamed at Will who had given Simon a glance and- with an understanding look -let go of him. "Simon!" Simon heard Isabelle cry out as he sighed in relief and as Isabelle fussed over him. "Are you okay?" She then snapped her head towards Will who had let the light die out of the seraph blade and was now pocketing it. "What in the name of the Angel were you doing?"

"I had no idea that this was your lover Isabelle. I'm truly sorry." Will said in a unrepentant tone. His shock has receded now and Simon looked at him to see Jace instead that this Jace had black hair, blue eyes and a British accent.

"Well now you know," Isabelle said as she wrapped her arms around Simon's waist which Will shook his head at, "I would advise you to stay far away from him today for he will be accompanying us. Because if you don't, I'd have no choice but to slaughter you." Isabelle smiled sweetly and Simon smiled weakly at the irony. A sweet girl with dangerous threats.

"That," Will began with a ferocious grin, "would be very interesting to see"


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: HEY DUDES/DUDETTES! I'm back! Come stai? Kumusta ka? How are you? I hope you'd all been having a fun-tastic time! Sorry. I'm high. **

**Anyways, as I am now relieved of school duties I can UPDATE! **

**Disclaimer: Il mio non Cassandra Clare. Hindi ako si Cassandra Clare. I'm not Cassandra Clare. Sorry if I get my Italian and Filipino wrong too. I'm still learning Italian and I'm starting to forget my Filipino. SHAME ON ME. Filipino's my native language. Sorry, Filipino dudes out there.**

**Ahem. Anyways..., Enjoy. :D**

* * *

-Chapter Fifteen-

He watched her as she laughed, unaware of the terrible fate that had befallen upon her tiny, tiny shoulders. He did not want her smiles to fade away so quickly especially after they just got together. When he'd found out that he and Clary were not siblings, he could see a bright future ahead of them. Now, that future was diminished leaving behind a dark cold world without his Clary.

It was a sick joke.

It was as if he didn't have enough problems already. The realisation that he may not be a Herondale after all since Will's death in the past must lead to the disruption of the Herondale line have already brought forth thousands of questions to his head. It was even more terrible that there were people after them _and_ that the mundane world is in grave danger of being turned to Forsakens due to runes that had never been created until now!

His hands balled into fists under the table. _WHY?_

'JACE!' His head snapped up at the mention of his name and his eyes met an irritated Clary. 'You do know that I've been calling for you for the past minute, right?' Her eyes were a bright emerald green that would- at any time according to Magnus -would turn murky and lifeless.

He swallowed back his grimace and smiled at her. 'Would you ever forgive me if I said no?' he said with all the charm he can manage and she rolled her eyes at him and smiled.

'No,' she teased and directed her attention to Simon who was pretending to eat a slice pizza to keep up normalcy. The boy looked terribly sick and Jace would've wondered if he was thirsty and whether they'd have an 'accident' at the pizza shop, but there were already too many things in his mind.

He sighed deeply in an attempt to calm down and looked around him. They had been searching New York since early that morning and they came up with nothing. They then decided to eat and headed to a pizza shop. Constant amounts of energy was necessary for a Shadowhunter on the hunt, but Jace's food was left untouched. He didn't feel hungry.

'I quite think I'm getting used to the food of the twenty-first century,' Will said, 'this _pizza_ is very nice.' Jace looked at his ancestor- or not -from where he was. They were sitting on separate tables, since the others still believed that they would fight the moment they were two metres radius close of one another.

'I suppose it's alright, but it's a bit oily.' Jem said beside Will as he watched his friend eat. Tessa, on the other hand, had remained silent and ate little. She looked like she had something on her mind.

Suddenly, a hand grasped his elbow and Jace almost- _almost_ -jumped in his seat. He turned to the person who grasped it and was surprised to find Isabelle who was looking out the window as if she's just seen an Iblis demon and was prepared to whip out her whip and start slashing at it. 'Jace,' she said with a snarl, 'is that the faerie we're talking about?'

Everyone went into action. The group on the other table turned their heads- Tessa a moment too late -and Clary and Simon ended their conversation. Alec was leaning forward beside Jace. They all re-directed their gaze outside and Jace wasn't surprised at the fact that it was so easy to find their target. The description- according to Tessa -was simple. Dark green and blood red eyes and hair. Astonishingly beautiful and alas, the faerie was.

She was leaning on a tree trunk at the park adjacent to the shop, her hair twisting like vines over her shoulder. Her eyes were shifting everywhere. Jace knew that she was aware she was being hunted down, but she wasn't sure just how close they were. In her hand she held a piece of paper. She must be waiting for someone.

'Perfect,' Isabelle breathed and turned to Jace. 'What next?'

Jace started as he leaned back on the chair. 'We should try and trap her or maybe even distract her for a few seconds, then we'll sneak up on her and catch her.' He looked back at the faerie who had now pretended to listen to music. 'We have to be very careful.'

'How do we distract her?' Simon asked.

'Simple,' Will smiled at the corner of Jace's eyes. 'Faeries love human immorality so I suggest we organise a false scandal.' Everyone considered his words and- interestingly enough -they all agreed. Even Jace. 'Wonderful! So who's pretending? I volunteer to do so for I am very talented at drama.' No-one said anything.

Isabelle cut-off the awkward silence. 'Maybe it should be a love affair!' She smiled as she turned to the three on the other table.

Will's enthusiasm was lost. Jem was open-mouthed. Tessa froze in her seat.

'Ok.' Jace agreed and so did everyone else except for the three who disagreed silently- except for Will who had bounded off the seat and started shouting at Isabelle.

Five to three. Majority rules.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's chapter sixteen! I hope you'll like this one! I've been waiting to get to this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. This all belongs to Cassandra Clare.**

* * *

-Chapter Sixteen-

She waited patiently for either Jem or Will to begin the trap. She hoped that they_ will_ catch the faerie because, if they didn't, everything she will put up with now will all be put to waste. All the pretending will be put to waste. All the endured talk she will have with _him_ will be put to waste. Everything she will have to do to prove that they were lovers will BE PUT TO WASTE.

_Oh please let them catch her_, she thought as she shook under the big oak tree. It was ironic how it was such a beautiful day out in New York. The song birds are chirping happily, families are having picnics, dogs are barking as they played fetch with their masters. The trees swayed around her in the cool breeze. The sun shone brightly, leaving her skin and clothes dappled with sunlight. And yet, she was about to go through the worst five- according to Jace -minutes of her life. Although, she knew it would be longer than five minutes.

Of course she could have happily disagreed, but it was rude to do so and it was selfish. It was also for everyone's best interests. It was her way of repaying everyone for their kindness to her. Everyone except Will. He has never been kind.

His name echoed in her mind and she pushed back the spasm the rocked her body every time she thought too hard about the night in the attic. However, she wasn't like this when they talked on the way to her room the other night. She wasn't like this either when they sat across from each other, eating 'pizza'.

So why was she so deathly afraid to be so close to him now? Her heart was a thundering rhythm, beating so fast it was unbelievable. She shook once more as she squeezed her eyes shut and willed for control. She will not let herself be seen like this. She must be strong.

With a deep breath, she raised her head and looked at Central Park. It was beautiful. It retained some of its features since she had 'died'. To her eyes, it would forever be the place she played hide-and-seek with her brother while their aunt called out for them, irritation and disappointment in her tone. But still, when they come back, she would still give them kisses and when they got back home, she would cook them a hearty meal within their small New York apartment.

Her reminiscing suddenly reminded her of Nathaniel. However, every time she remembered Nathaniel, she would also remember Mortmain. It sickened her how she had now naturally, and unconsciously, linked the two people; one of the people that matters the most to her in this world and the person she hates so much she could kill them.

Her thoughts were abruptly stopped when a hand clasped her shoulder and Tessa turned around, hoping it was Jem.

It was Will. His eyes were not the usual midnight blue, but it was an earthly brown. He must've used the 'contacts' that Isabelle said they should utilise to disguise themselves. Will also had a hood cover most of his face and he was also wearing the glasses he borrowed from Simon. He smiled at her and she had to quickly erase her shocked expression. The glasses, the brownness of his eyes made him look so soft and not like the Will she knew at all. 'Hey.'

Suddenly, she remembered she had to reply. 'Hi,' she managed to muster a genuine smile and Tessa pushed back the black curls brushing against her cheek. She too had disguised herself by changing into a ridiculously beautiful girl that Jace had somehow found a way to borrow her ring. Now, she had the most stunning tree-green eyes and had also gotten shorter. Luckily, her clothes didn't fall off her.

Will had proceeded to sit next to her and Tessa tried very hard not to freeze at the small space between them. He took in a long deep breath and started to laugh. Tessa looked at him in incredulity and curiosity. 'I'm sorry.' He smiled as he stopped laughing. 'I just remembered the time when we used to be just friends,' he looked at her earnestly. 'They were better times weren't they? We used to be comfortable around each other. That is until I confessed my feelings...' he trailed off as he started to uproot the grass in front of him and turned away from her.

A long silence passed between them before he turned back to her again. 'We could just be friends again if you don't like this.' Will sounded sincere and so _different_.

She said nothing in reply. She said nothing in reply because she could rearrange his words. She could understand what he was _actually_ saying.

He was saying sorry to everything he's done to her. It was ridiculous, but a part of her believed it so much, it dominated over the other. It believed it so much, it had forgotten everything in the past. It believed it so much she wanted to say something back, but her words were stuck at her throat.

Tessa stared at him as beads of tears started to form on her eyes and Will's eyebrows creased in confusion. Suddenly, he leaned forward. She could interpret that too.

_Do you forgive me?_ She could see the blue of his eyes smouldering behind the contacts.

Tessa leaned forward. _Yes_.

Somewhere between here and there, their lips finally met. The kiss was much the same as the others they'd had. Passionate. _I love you, Tessa_. He said that too as his hand wove through her hair and Tessa had to try very hard not to let go of the soul she was currently borrowing.

Then, he pulled away and her eyes widened in fear. Had he fooled her again? 'Everybody's staring at us,' he whispered as he held onto her arms, his forehead pressed against hers. He started laughing once again, his breath tickling her cheeks.

No, he hadn't and that part of Tessa that wanted to believe his words started jumping in joy. They stayed like that for a few more seconds and she would've happily stayed like that for a few more if it wasn't for the 'cellphone'. He let go of her and fished it out of his pocket. 'Looks like my practice has started,' he looked back at her with a smile and Tessa could see his midnight blue eyes under the contacts once again. 'I'll see you.' He put back his phone in his pocket, then reached out with his hand and tucked in a loose strand of hair back.

Then he left.

Tessa stared after his disappearing figure, her heart starting to slow to an even beat now. Then, realisation struck her and her face fell in her hand. _Did- did that just happen?_ She couldn't believe it. How could he love her? He stated clearly in the attic what he thought of her. She's merely a toy to him.

But all his actions just then, they all proved something else.

Tessa suddenly remembered their short, but eventful, conversation the other night. _"Perhaps I'll tell you one day, and then maybe I won't"_, he had said that. Does that mean he decided to tell her?

Before she could dwell deeper into the mystery, another hand clasped her shoulder and she raised her face and turned to see Jem. 'Hey,' his eyebrows pushed together and his eyes- which were black and so was his hair -held an incomprehensible emotion in them. 'Are you okay?'

She nodded and he smiled as he sat down next to her. Tessa stared at him. _Is this what Jem would look like, if he wasn't sick?_ she asked herself as he looked at him. He didn't look pale anymore. He looked healthy. Tessa smiled genuinely at him as she, unconsciously, reached out and touched his hair. Jem gave her a raised eyebrow, then laughed. Remembering what _exactly_ she was doing, she blushed and started to pull her hand back.

However, Jem had grabbed her wrist and stared intently at her eyes. She could tell he was wearing contacts as well, but beneath them, his eyes- like Will's -brightened too. Nickel flowing under a black crust. She was staring back at him when she realised just what was happening.

He had kissed her and her mouth opened in surprise, then the kiss turned just as passionate and just as sweet. In a way he was different, but her heart responded in the same way. She also had to try and not Change back to her original self. Her arms reached up and wound around his neck and she could feel him smiling against her lips. Then he laughed and she too, laughed. They would've continued laughing, if it wasn't for the fact that Tessa suddenly felt a sick feeling in her stomach. She ignored it and looked up at Jem.

She felt... happy, but for some reason it didn't feel right. He cradled her face with his hands and smiled down at her, 'I would say I love you, but I think you already know that.'

At other circumstances, she would've grinned like an idiot in joy, but the words registered something painful at the back of her mind.

Tessa finally recognised the sick feeling. Guilt.

And she couldn't have recognised it at the worst time. Jem's eyes glazed over and he must've thought something else. 'I'll see you later,' he said as he looked at his borrowed watch, 'I need to meet with a friend. Forgive me.'

But before he left, words had escaped her mouth. 'Wait.' He looked back and Tessa swallowed down the sick feeling. 'I love you too.'

Jem's smile reached his eyes, but not fully and he stood up and left.

As soon as he disappeared, everything crashed in on her.

She _did_ love them both and they both loved her. _No..._ she could feel the breath get knocked out of her and Tessa's face fell into her hands once again as tears started to form on her eyes. She didn't want this. She knew that she's going to have to choose.

And soon.

'Oh dear me,' a voice said and Tessa looked up to see the faerie in front of her. She looked sympathetic and playful. 'You're stuck in a really bad situation aren't you?'

Tessa felt anger flare up inside her and she hastily scrambled to her feet while glaring at the faerie. 'What's it to you?' She tried hard to control the hysteria in her voice.

The faerie laughed and Tessa's fists clenched. 'Nothing,' she grinned, showing off her perfect white teeth. 'But the thing is, you really should just turn down both of them. That makes things easier doesn't it?' The faerie's words sounded like poison to Tessa and seconds after she said them, the thought had implanted itself in her head. 'I'm just helping. I've been through these types of stuff as well. Trust me,' she turned away from Tessa and started walking back to where she came from, 'it works all the time.'

Tessa looked at the faerie as she disappeared under the shadows of trees then get caught by Jace in the neck and Isabelle soon followed after, chaining the faerie who would've screamed if Jace hadn't held her mouth shut. She struggled against them, but it was pointless. They had dragged her away.

The trap worked. The others rejoiced. Although...

Will was silent...

...Jem was silent...

...and Tessa was crying.

* * *

**A/N: Have I told you why I hope you like this? Well, it's because I didn't like it much myself. I think I made it so cliché, but there's no other way to put it. I mean I like it because of the twist at the end, but it's the cliché! My writer best friends would kill me and 3 out of 4 of my best friends are writers! They are against clichés. **

**If it sucks, please tell me. I'm having a panic attack here!**

**Pyreflies Painter.**

**P.S. Sorry Jessas out there! I know the fluff between Jem and Tessa is short but that's only because they didn't say much to each other because they didn't need to! They just needed to show their feelings. Unlike Will and Tessa who have to talk to each other first to ease the tension. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry for the late update! I was busy yesterday being with my friends and I developed writer's block last night so please forgive me for the late update! **

**Here's chapter seventeen and I would just like to thank you all for your continuing support. Without you, Dust and Shadows would be so much harder to write, not knowing what you think. I'm so grateful and thank you so much! **

**Now with that out of the way...**

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare. **

* * *

-Chapter Seventeen-

Magnus sighed inwardly as they rounded the corner and made their way to the Hotel Dumort. It was- fortunately -their last place to visit before they go back to the Institute.

All day, Maryse had dragged both Charlotte and him around New York. They've been to the Seelie Court- and what a terrible time they had -and they've also seen Luke Garroway's pack. He was not there but somebody had stood for him. Basically, they were now collecting information from the different heads of Downworlders in New York. Maryse wanted to see if they were aware of the situation and what they have done so far if they were.

Magnus suppressed his inane laughter as he reminisced the Seelie Queen's reaction to Maryse's words. She had not known that one of her faeries had began hurting Shadowhunters against the Accords and he remembered the way her pretty face scrunched up and her eyes started to turn black. For a moment, he was afraid she'd start unleashing her evilness, but her clenched hands relaxed and she took in deep breaths. After her moment of expressed anger, she had said that, whoever this 'traitorous' and 'disgraceful' faerie was, they were to take them back to the court. Maryse, trying to be diplomatic, had merely said that she'll think about it. However, the Seelie Queen started arguing with her and that was when Magnus had to step in. The Seelie Queen agreed with him and they left the court unscratched.

In the werewolf's case, they have heard rumours of 'rebel' Downworlders recently. They were an easier bunch to talk to and they have even offered assistance when Maryse explained the situation. Maryse had said she'll think about it, but the werewolves were so insistent that Maryse had to give in and accepted their help. Right now, Magnus can only guess that they've started their investigation.

A cold, sharp breeze prickled his skin and Magnus closed his eyes as they made it to the bricked-over door of the hotel. He opened his eyes as he looked up, seeing the glaring sun overhead but was hidden behind clouds. It was noon and he felt hungry. Even a warlock needed to eat. 'Should we knock?' He finally asked when he saw Maryse stare at the bricks. 'Or maybe call for them. It's not as if we're arresting them right?' He added on as Maryse gave him an incredulous look. At the corner of his eyes, he could see Charlotte considering his suggestion. Charlotte was a kind woman.

Maryse opened her mouth to say something, but was prevented to do so when a new voice appeared out of nowhere. 'Magnus Bane.' The warlock's distinguishable cat eyes snapped to the direction of the sound. His view was blocked by wood that boarded-up the window and Maryse and Charlotte made their way towards it. 'And Mrs Lightwood. Why visit me at such a terrible time?' The voice had a thick Spanish accent slurred within it and Magnus could only guess it was Raphael.

He was actually expecting Camille. 'Raphael,' Magnus smiled at him. Even if he can't see the vampire, he could tell that Raphael was frowning. 'We're just here to discuss a few things. Where's Camille?'

Magnus thought that he had left due to the lack of immediate reply, but Raphael's sigh had caused him to think otherwise. 'She is still away. Travelling.'

The warlock raised an eyebrow at his reply. There was a tone of resentment hidden under the impatient facade. It caused him to wonder exactly where Camille was. Not that he cared. He's merely curious. 'Wanderlust must be hard to cure for your type.' He finally said.

'Camille?' Charlotte asked beside him. 'Lady Belcourt? She's still... alive?' The woman tried to make her sentence sound a bit less disrespectful.

'Well, if I'm still here,' Magnus smiled at her, 'she must be.'

Beside him, Maryse sighed. Quickly, she tapped- with a significant amount of force -on the wood boarding the window. 'Enough with this.' She seemed impatient too. 'We need to ask you some questions Raphael. Have you heard about rebel Downworlders? Have you heard about a vampire woman with red and white eyes and hair?'

On the other side, Magnus could hear a growl. He thought it must be due to Maryse's attitude. 'Si. I know her.' Charlotte moved closer to the window at Raphael's words while Maryse listened intently. 'If you must know, she left the clan two months ago to pursue a life where she can be as wild as she could. She hated you Shadowhunters and we thought that she'd gone off somewhere up north with little Clave interruptions. We didn't stop her because she was delusional and we knew she'd die anyways and we were right.'

'You have heard about how she attacked one of us then?' Charlotte asked.

'Si. Word travels fast.' He had stopped and Magnus thought that that was the end of his explanation. He was wrong. 'We don't know her real name. She's asked us to call her Raven, though.'

'So you were aware about these. What did you do then?' Maryse asked as she tried to peer through the wood. 'You didn't tell the Clave for one thing.'

'We didn't say anything,' Raphael's voice was tinted with irritation, 'because we knew she'd end up in your hands anyway. Besides, we only knew that she left. We never thought that she would end up attacking Shadowhunters.'

'Nevertheless, you should have warned us.' Maryse's tone was getting angry by the word.

'Like I said-'

'That's enough, now.' Magnus interrupted Raphael before a fight could break out. 'We have all the information we need Maryse. Let's go.'

The woman turned to him, her blue eyes icy and so was her voice. 'Magnus Bane, I respect you for your support, but the fate of many Shadowhunters rests on our shoulders. Do you want to be responsible for their deaths?'

Magnus sighed. 'Of course not. I'm just saying it's enough. We're disturbing Raphael's beauty sleep.' On the other side, Magnus could hear the vampire smile. 'Besides, I'm hungry.'

'Oh, you're hungry?' Maryse said sarcastically. The warlock smiled in return.

'He is right. You should go.' Raphael said before Maryse could explode. 'Besides, I have nothing else to say.' On that note, Magnus could hear a _whoosh_ing of air and he knew that Raphael had left. Maryse snapped her head to the wood and looked like she wanted to kick it. But, she would never do that since it was, not only rude, but it could lead to misunderstandings.

Magnus whirled around and started to run down the steps before Maryse could stab him in the back. While doing so, he was thinking about how the others went with catching the faerie. _I hope they caught her_.

* * *

The faerie struggled as they dragged her up the Institute and strapped her to the floor. They had gagged her, knowing that whatever she said would poison their minds and make them let her go. As Jace took off the sack over her head, they could see how her beautiful face was now twisted. Her hair was vines running from her scalp to her hip, her skin crumpling and the white of her eyes turning pink in anger. She started screaming something in faerie talk and Isabelle decided to put the sack over her head once again. After they locked the room- making sure the window sills and the door was covered in pure iron -Alec left to contact the Silent Brothers. Clary could still hear the faerie on the other side as she screamed. 'I hope she'd shut up...' Isabelle mumbled as she clutched her forehead. 'It's hurting my head.'

'I second that motion.' Jace said as he started to make his way down the stairs. Clary followed after him, meanwhile noticing that Tessa, Jem and Will had disappeared. She wondered where they had went. The three didn't look good as they left Central Park. 'I'm hungry.' Jace's voice cut through her thoughts and she smiled at his words.

'We just ate.' Isabelle pointed out as they reached the landing and as Jace left for the kitchen. 'What do you want me to do?'

He whirled around all of a sudden that Clary almost slammed into him if she didn't stop immediately. Suddenly, she smiled internally as she realised her reflexes has improved. 'Definitely not cook something. I still remember the time when you cooked that steak. It was disgusting.' Isabelle merely turned away from him in annoyance. He turned around again and started to walk, but stopped once more. Then, he started sniffing the air. 'Hey... Can anyone else smell that?'

Clary sniffed the air and she was met with a delightful aroma. 'That smells _so_ nice.' Jace went off and so did her and Isabelle and soon, they were beholding the sight of glorious food cooked by Sophie. The girl looked up as she saw them then smiled.

'Miss Clary, Miss Isabelle and Master Jace.' She looked down as Clary's eyebrows shot up at the formalities. 'I was just preparing food in case anyone's hungry.'

'That's great!' Isabelle said as she pointed to Jace. 'He's still hungry.' Jace rolled his eyes as he went to the food and Sophie started serving him. Clary joined his side and as she watched him eat, she noticed the way in which he didn't look at her.

It has worried her and by the hour, she was getting more anxious. There was only one thing to do and that was to ask him what was wrong but now wasn't the time for it.

Suddenly, Alec appeared. 'Brother Liam is here. He says he's ready to face the Downworlder.'

'Already?' Isabelle asked as she turned to her brother. 'Wow. They would usually take a long time.'

'They have actually been waiting around the corner since this morning.' Alec said as he walked over to them. He eyed the food with consideration.

'Are they enthusiastic.' A new voice said and Clary turned to see Magnus, Charlotte and Maryse. 'Oooh! Food.' The warlock said as he made his way to the counter and Sophie served him. 'Thank you Miss Sophie. I am very, _very_ hungry.'

'We don't have time to eat Magnus. We need to begin. Now.' Maryse turned to her son and Alec nodded and left to get the Silent Brother. Magnus rolled his eyes at her as he popped a chicken into his mouth.

* * *

They watched as Brother Liam stared- or at least mentally since he can't open his eyes -at the faerie. Soon, the faerie- whose face was revealed once again -started convulsing and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Then, her mouth opened, but no sound came out of it. It was a horrifying view, but not as horrifying as to what happened to her earlier that morning.

She stood behind _them_. Her mind numb and her heart shrivelling in pain and sadness. It was either she chose one or none. It was a sick joke. Her life was a sick joke.

Suddenly, someone spoke and Tessa looked up to see Charlotte asking the Silent Brother what he saw. The faerie was taking in deep breaths as she lay on the floor on her back and the Silent Brother seemed like he was gasping for air- which was sort of pointless -as he supported himself using the bed frame. The Silent Brother looked at Charlotte and the woman suddenly opened her mouth in surprise. Then, she turned to Maryse. 'The runes. They're part of the entire plot. Their master wants to reveal our world to mundanes! In the name of the Angel, they're also releasing demons!' Everyone seemed to look either surprised or horrified. 'Their master...' Charlotte shook her head as she choked on her words.

'What is it?' Will asked as he stepped forward. Tessa saw the shadows under his eyes and how something flickered in the ocean of his eyes that she could not comprehend. However, she did know- though she did not know how she knew -that it was related to what had happened that morning. 'Charlotte.'

The woman had now closed her mouth and Henry stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Then, she spoke. 'Her name is Sabre Mortmain.'

Tessa gasped at the last name. Mortmain. If she was Mortmain's descendant, then how did she kill them when they were still... Unless, she used something that enables her to travel through time.

'A time machine.' Henry blurted. 'It has to be the only way she could've attacked us back then. There's no other explanation.'

'Henry, even if she's a Shadowhunter, she couldn't have created a time machine.' Charlotte's words struck Tessa hard especially at the word 'Shadowhunter'.

'Shadowhunter?' Will laughed humourlessly. 'She's... Are you implying that Mortmain married a Shadowhunter? For what? His descendant could wreak havoc and kill us for him? Does this mean that, even if we didn't die, Mortmain would've lived?' Will's tone was filled with sarcasm and incredulity and no one who knew Mortmain could disagree with him.

Then, Maryse Lightwood spoke up. 'Does it really matter now? What matters is that we get to this traitor and stop her before she can hurt humans!' She turned sharply to the Silent Brother who had now recovered and there was a moment of silence. 'Thank you Brother Liam.' She turned back to them. 'The Brother has told me that Sabre Mortmain has an army made of demons she summoned. She will be releasing them soon.'

'Another Valentine?' Jace growled. 'We need to find her before she releases them then. Like old times.'

'Except,' Jem began, 'she'll know we'll start looking for her, since her faerie will not be coming back to her.'

'Nevertheless, we need to start.' Maryse's fists were clenching and unclenching. 'I'll contact the Clave. They're going to go mad when they hear about this. Meanwhile, you could all start tracking her. She could release her army at any time.' With that, she left and they all looked at one another.

They were all there minus Jessamine who refused to participate. Tessa would've cared, but she was too busy collecting her thoughts to do so. Meanwhile, Brother Liam had left thanking them in their minds and saying that the Silent Brothers will also help in the ordeal. Tessa thanked him back and he gave her a nod before he left. 'I suppose we should start looking for the runes. Maybe if we can find a pattern or some sort. Perhaps this Sabre Mortmain will surround herself with them.' Magnus said as he looked at everyone who were all silent. 'Oh, come on.' He left the room.

'He's right.' Charlotte said and she looked at them. 'Now's not the time to be dilly-dallying. We need to move.'

'What about the faerie?' Isabelle pointed out. 'We can't leave her there.'

Henry stepped up once again. 'It's alright. I'll stay here and watch over her. I have enough inventions to keep her at bay. Without destroying the Institute of course.' He grinned and Tessa felt like grinning with him. She felt like that because deep inside her, she needed comfort. She needed to find a way to calm herself and to forget all her rising problems even for just a few seconds.

Then, as soon as Henry finished grinning, they all went into action and left the room.

* * *

**A/N: CHAOS! CHAOS! Ahhh. My mind's hurting just thinking about the chaos.**

**I hope you guys liked this one too. I also hope I wasn't OOC with some of the characters. Although, I suppose terrible times can make people act uncharacteristically. Although, the part with hungry Magnus terrified me. It was _so_ random. **

**What do you think?**

**Anyways, I'll be bye-bye for now and I will update because the first week of the holidays has ended and my time is running out! Ahhh! One week left. T_T**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hoorah! I finished Chapter Eighteen just in time before I go to sleep! Whoo! **

**Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare. I am Pyreflies Painter.**

* * *

-Chapter Eighteen-

'Here's another one.' Clary heard someone say and she turned around to see Maia beckoning at them. She was looking down at something in the dirty pavement. Something that decided their fates.

Instantly, everyone made their way towards the werewolf whom- along with Simon -had joined them in search for the 'mutated' runes so that they'll be able to find where this Sabre Mortmain is hiding. So far, they found ones in Chinatown, Times Square, Fifth Avenue, Wall Street and even along the Brooklyn Bridge! Jace has expertly pointed out before that these places are all tourist attraction sites and that caused even more panic inside them. It made it worse that they split up into teams so they can cover a greater area. Clary's group is wondering what the other group has found.

Nobody wants mundanes to see their world simply because they know it just sounds terrible.

'It's always the same symbol.' Clary said as Maia pointed to the engraved rune. Then, Clary whipped out her sketchpad to draw the rune, just in case. She drew swirls and sharp corners and when she finished, she looked up at the others who were all looking as downcast as her. 'Should we proceed?' She asked and they all nodded lifelessly and headed down the alleyway.

It was a silent trip for them. Just observing. It made Clary's stomach furl in nervousness and anxiety. Everything was falling apart. Moreover, she didn't want another Valentine. She didn't want it because perhaps Jace could slip through her fingers again. That was what terrifies her the most. She already had a second chance. Clary does not think she can have another one.

Suddenly, a hand clasped on her shoulder and Clary turned to see the rest of the group- Jace, Isabelle, Simon and Maia -look towards a group of teenagers.

They were drawing the runes on them. 'This is so cool man!' One of them said and the hand that was on Clary's shoulders left and she just realised it was Jace. An angry Jace who was about to beat the sense out of the boys.

'Jace, no!' Clary tugged on his shirt and the group looked toward their direction. 'Let's go back.' She whispered to the others. 'Let's go back before we can make trouble.' The others nodded and Jace suddenly held Clary's hand as they exited the alleyway and turned the corner, letting themselves be swallowed by the crowd.

New York was lively that night. Traffic filled the streets and cars _honk_ed at each other, their passengers eager to get home and get some sleep. The lights were burning bright and Clary tilted her head back to see the endless skyscrapers, some so high that clouds swallowed them. The breeze blowing from the East River wasn't so cold either. To the red-haired girl's eyes, it was not right. It was the calm before the storm. As they walked back towards the Institute, Clary took time to look at passers-by.

They may be strangers, but she suddenly felt a sense of dread for them. She looked at the homeless people and wondered what'll happen to them when the demons are released. Surely, the demons will chase them first. Clary can already imagine the foul beings playing with them, following their every move until they have forced them into madness, to insanity. Then they'll willingly let themselves be _eaten_ because they have lost hope. What makes it worse is that they would have probably heard of Shadowhunters by then. Their guardians would fail them.

Clary tore away her gaze on the poor men and turned to a mother and daughter. The girl was much too young, the mother too lively and happy now. It's not fair to steal away that happiness. It's not fair to steal away the girl's chance at a happy life. Clary could feel tears start rising up her throat as she looked at the little girl smiling, unaware of the danger right in front of her.

Suddenly, Clary's breath hitched and her headache came. She clutched her head as she froze on the sidewalk, people walking around her. It was just as painful as last time. A throbbing pain that made her breathe hard and her heartbeat go slowly. Every time she had one, it felt more like she was sick. 'Clary?' Jace's voice whispered in her ear and Clary looked up to see the others frozen on the sidewalk, their faces terrified. 'Clary?' Jace's tone was suddenly tinted with anxiety and Clary shook her head. She wanted to tell them it was alright, but she couldn't. 'Go ahead. We'll catch up.' Jace said in an urgent tone as he squeezed her hand. 'Come on.' He whispered and he put his arm around her waist as they started to walk forward.

'No. I need to stop.' She said, breathless. Jace nodded as they stopped on the sidewalk. 'No. Not here. Some place quiet.'

* * *

The soft splashing of the fountain calmed her mind and she took in deep breaths. Jace sat beside her, his eyes still holding the same expression as before even if her headache has already passed. 'Jace.' Clary sighed. She couldn't take it anymore. She has to know what was wrong with him. 'Please, tell me what's wrong.' She gazed into his gold eyes.

The boy held her gaze as he leaned forward. Then, their lips met.

It was like every other kiss. Burning with passion and Clary wondered what passers-by thought of them, but she couldn't care. Another thing about their kisses is that, for that moment, everything melted away leaving them the only people on Earth. Time also melted away and Clary wouldn't care if they'd been doing what they were doing for the past ten minutes.

Soon, he pulled away but he still held onto her as if he needed her to support him. 'Has your headache passed?' He asked softly and Clary's eyebrows pushed together, then was followed by her laugh.

'Are my headaches the cause of your strange behaviour? If that is so, you don't need to worry. It's probably because of all the chaotic occurrences happening lately.' She reasoned with him, but his eyes suddenly became frozen and his expression turned angry once again. But something flitted behind them that she couldn't put a finger too.

Then, he hugged her. 'No. You're wrong.' His voice sounded pained and Clary couldn't help but hug him back. 'I'm sorry Clary. I'm so sorry.' He whispered as he buried his face in her hair. 'I should've told you a long time ago.'

Her heartbeat sped up and Clary wanted to pull away from him and look into his eyes. Never has she heard him like that. Never has she heard him sound so terrified. 'I should've told you about the rules of necromancy.' His voice was muffled but she could suddenly feel her hair start to get wet. 'You performed necromancy Clary. One of the rules is that you have to give a sacrifice. But you didn't give any.

'You're going to _die_.'

* * *

Magnus reclined on the sofa in one of the many identical rooms of the New York Institute. His arm was slung over his face, his eyes closed, giving the impression that he was asleep. He did this because he didn't want anyone to bother him. He didn't want anyone to bother him because he needed to think. He needed to think about where Sabre Mortmain is and what she is planning to do next. All great warriors planned. Jace and Will would've planned but they were all wrapped up in their personal problems that it didn't give them enough time to think about their plan. So, Magnus did it for them.

He was about to dwell further on the possibilities of Sabre doing a surprise attack when the door suddenly burst open and Magnus jumped up to see Jace and Clary.

Clary looked pale as if she saw a ghost and Jace stood beside her, his face expressionless, they way they always were when he's having a tough time. Magnus' cat eyes flickered between the two and understood immediately. It was a good thing he had planned for this too. 'Clary, I believe there is a way to save you.'

Jace's eyes suddenly lit up, but it was not as bright as it usually is. 'You-you found a way?' Magnus nodded and Clary rushed to him on the sofa. 'What is it?'

Magnus straightened as he looked at Clary. 'A substitute sacrifice. A cat perhaps. It's possible, but I need to find the chants for it. I promise you I'll find it as soon as I can, but with everything happening right now...' He trailed off but Clary's hopeful look had not disappeared.

'How long do I have left Magnus just before you can find the spell?' She asked, her emerald eyes glinting. Clary was a good person. Everyone knew she didn't deserve to die because of something she didn't mean to do.

The warlock sighed heavily and looked at Jace. The boy refused to meet his eyes. 'I don't know darling. I'm sorry.' He looked back at Clary and the girl nodded solemnly. 'I'll do my very best darling. I will.'

* * *

The library was silent. Hollow. Normally, she would be looking around the shelves, looking for a book that might capture her interest as she did a few days ago, but that joy of being surrounded by books was now robbed of her and Tessa stared at her bare hands silently, thinking of the many things that went wrong at the worst time.

Her head bent once again and she breathed in a shaky breath. She shook, but not because of the cold. She shook because she felt hopeless.

Just as a tear was about to escape her eye, the library door opened and her head snapped up, hoping it could be anyone except two people she really couldn't look at anymore.

Her hopes were dismantled as Jem walked into the room, his face solemn. 'I thought you might be here.' He pulled up the smallest of smiles and Tessa tried her best to return it. She must've failed since Jem stopped in his tracks and looked guilty. 'Have I disturbed you? If I have, I could leave. I was just-'

'Jem,' she interrupted him and the boy shut his mouth. 'I'm sorry for interrupting you but you must know that you haven't done anything. I'm just tired. That is all.' Jem nodded and he made his way towards her and Tessa moved over to give him space on the couch. He sat down and, instantly, her heart sped up. She looked at him and he looked back at her. His mere gaze had all form of coherent thoughts disappear from her mind and she could hear her uneven breathing. She tried forcing it down, but failed to do so. And then, before she even knew it, they were kissing.

Her hands wrapped around his neck as he pulled her towards him. Her pulse was thudding in her ears as their kiss turned passionate and sweet. There was something different about Jem, something that made him so desirable. Perhaps it's in the way he held her gently or the way he seemed to smile against her lips. Nevertheless, she wanted to be with him. To be by his side even if she knew he was to disappear one day. She loved him with all his heart but for some reason, that love was still shared with another man.

Suddenly, she felt a cold shock run through her and Tessa froze. Jem noticed and pulled away. 'Tessa?' His cheekbones were high with colour and his eyes glinted. It was the healthiest she ever saw him. 'Tessa? Are you okay?' His silver eyes suddenly filled with worry and Tessa nodded. She can't tell him. She just _can't_. 'I'm sorry.' He whispered and her head snapped up. 'I'm sorry if I'm forcing my feelings on you. It's not fair.' He started to untangle himself from her but she shook her head. The silver-haired boy gave her a surprised look.

'Don't-' She cut herself off as she heard the desperation in her voice. Tessa gulped down the emotion and forced her voice to stay neutral. 'It's alright. There are times when we know we can't do something, but our hearts act otherwise. But it's a good thing. We shouldn't follow what we think. We should follow what we feel for we can find fulfilment in it.' Jem looked back at her in amazement and Tessa looked down in embarrassment as her hands dropped from his neck. She was about to pull herself away in shame- and guilt that she still felt deep inside -when he took hold of her wrists and smiled at her.

'Tessa Gray,' he whispered intensely, her silver eyes burning. 'When I knew that a cure was already impossible for me, I gave up and decided to just live my life as happily as I could. However,' he then brought up her hands to his face and kissed them, 'I do believe that I've finally found my cure and I want you to know that it's you.' He smiled at her and she smiled back.

'Jem-' her words got cut off as tears started to make their way down her face and she hugged him. He hugged her back as he rubbed her back comfortingly. For a moment, Tessa felt safe and happy, but she knew it wouldn't last. She also knew that this makes things worse for her.

What she did not know, however, was that a certain blue-eyed boy had been watching them that night, his heart constricting painfully in his chest. _Tess_.

* * *

**A/N: I know it's short and I'm sorry, but it felt right to make it short and quick. It just did.**

**Alright, I put in that Jessa fluffiness at the end since it wasn't long last time. Jem deserves it too. Although, was it a bit OOC? If it is, please tell me. I'm sorry. I want to be reassured. **

**Anyways, until next chapter I suppose. **

**Pyreflies Painter :D **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry I haven't updated earlier. I could've but I was catching up with my other fanfics! Anyways, here's Chapter Nineteen!**

**Oh, and also, this might also be the last chapter I'll be able to add in a long time. Why? School. That's why. My break's almost over- :'( -and I can't add during school. Sorry. I get addicted and it's not healthy. Fanfic is my facebook.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare and I do not own Infernal Devices or Mortal Instruments.**

* * *

-Chapter Nineteen-

The sun was high overhead, the air hot and sticky. It was a big difference to the cool and gloomy London he grew up in. Here, everything was too hot. William Herondale wiped the sweat forming at his temples as he searched around Central Park for more of the abominable runes. It was the last place they have to search until they got to Alicante that night, presenting their information to the Clave. He can't say he was happy about their current problems, but it did give him something else to think about other than... well... what he saw at the New York Institute library. 'Will!' A familiar voice called out and Will turned his head to see Jem, beckoning him to come see what he found.

Will loved Jem. He had been the brother he never had. He was his _parabatai_ and he would always be. He was the only person he ever truly cared for. That is, until Tessa arrived.

He loved Tessa. But so does Jem. He knew they should be together. That he should just step away and let them love each other. It was the right thing to do, considering his blasted curse.

But he can't.

The pain of what he saw last night brought a flash of unjustified anger and pain through him. He shivered at it as he made his way to his _parabatai_. His rival. Jem pointed to a low wall that reached his knees. Plants were planted on it, their branches sticking out ominously. Along the wall was the rune. 'That's it. Central Park. Another tourist attraction.' Jem mumbled as he nodded along. Then, Jem looked at him warily.

He looked back.

Something flickered in the depths of his eyes. Something akin to anger? _Jealousy_?

Will shook his head internally. _No_, he told himself firmly. _If there is anyone who shall be angry or jealous here, it is me. The bitter boy who whose words are a sharp dagger. Intended to hurt._ Will looked away as he tapped the rune with the toe of his 'converse' that Isabelle gave him. He didn't particularly like the shoe. It fell too light and delicate. 'Shall we go back to the Institute?' He asked, his voice struggling to stay neutral. His anger was rising and he pushed it down in vain.

'Yes, I believe we should.' Jem said as he started to make his way back. Will fell into step beside him. As they passed under thick, branching trees, they remained silent. It was an uncomfortable silence. He didn't like it.

After a few more seconds, Jem whirled on him and Will froze in his steps. Jem's eyes were glinting. 'What's wrong?' Jem demanded. He didn't ask. He _demanded_.

'Nothing.' He replied softly. It looked odd. Jem was not supposed to ever hold such a tone or look so angry. 'It's nothing.'

'There's something wrong. I can tell.'

'You don't know that.' The anger was rising in his throat. _Don't Will. You've hurt enough people_. He reminded himself. 'Come on,' he said as he continued walking. 'They're expecting us back before lunch.' The demon inside was ready to come out. It was trying to escape his mouth, trying to control him by filling him with rage, envy and hate.

'Will,' Jem breathed, 'if this is about Tessa-'

Far away in the back of his mind, a voice whispered at Will. A foul voice. The voice of his inner demon.

It has come out.

He whirled on Jem, his blue eyes glinting. 'Damn hell!' He exclaimed. Jem looked at him ever so calmly. 'I said nothing is WRONG!' His friend didn't look convinced.

'If you are angry at me for loving someone, then I'm truly sorry.' His _parabatai_ whispered at him, his silver eyes hardening. Jem made to move, but Will's voice made him stop.

'You kissed her.' He knew Jem had kissed her before, at the same park they were in now. But the thing is, he kissed her a second time. At first, Will thought that he was merely pretending, but he wasn't. He had worried about this, but it was a selfish anxiety. It's not as if he owned Tessa.

'Yes, I did.' Silence followed them once again. He didn't know what else to say. Everything wasn't right. Will knew that he shouldn't be angry. He shouldn't be. 'I love her too, Will.' Jem finally whispered and Will's fists clenched reflexively. 'I know you do too. I don't wish her to come between us, but it is.'

His friend's words hit him hard. Will sighed heavily as he redirected his gaze to the ground. 'I thought we were _xiōngdì_. Brothers.' He whispered, a tone of desperation mixed in with his voice. Will remembered when Jem had told him that. It was a year after they knew each other and Jem thought him a little bit of Mandarin. The first thing he taught him is how to say brother, _xiōngdì_. Will remembered how they had laughed when he tried to pronounce the word, but couldn't. He could now, but the word's meaning was lost in the space between them. When the meaning was lost, it didn't matter anymore if he could even speak fluent Mandarin.

'I'm sorry Will.' Jem's footsteps started up again and he left. A hollow feeling has started in the other boy's stomach. A sick, hollow feeling.

The devil at the back of his mind laughed.

* * *

Clary looked blankly out of the window, her thoughts focused on what she just found out.

She was going to die.

Well, there was also a high possibility that she could live, but Magnus hasn't turned up with the chants yet. That wasn't a good sign.

She sighed at the same time footsteps appeared and she didn't even need to turn to know it was none other than Jace. He wrapped his arms around her as he buried his face in her hair. 'I'm sorry.' His voice was muffled but she can hear the pain in them.

'Shut up. It's not your fault.' She _hated_ how he kept taking in all the guilt. She _hated_ how he made himself think he's the reason for anything bad that's happened to her. She _hated_ how he loved her too much. But still, she would never actually _hate_ him. 'Jace. Thank you for everything you're doing, but you really shouldn't.'

His arms froze around her and Clary could feel something bad coming on. 'Are you kidding me?' His voice was dark. 'Clary, I will do _anything_ just to save you. I will give up my life. I don't even care if you didn't love me back. It will always be my duty to protect you.' His arms tightened around her once again and Clary sighed. 'What now?'

'Let go of me.'

'What?'

'I said,' Clary pushed away and she whirled to face him. Jace's face has become a mask. She couldn't see any emotions. Just Jace. 'Let go of me.'

'I just did.' He spoke, his voice void of emotions as much as his face.

Clary made an impatient noise and left the room, sparing no glance at his clenched fists or the grimace that has finally appeared in his mouth. She ran once she hit the stairs, her tears pouring down her face as she fought her sobs back. Finally, she made it to her room and slammed the door shut behind her. Clary slid to the floor, her back against the door as she curled into a ball. She shook in fear and pain. She wished things weren't like this. As much as she did like them, she wished she never picked up Henry Branwell's notebook. She wished this not for herself. She wished this because she hated the effect it had on others. _If I could only turn back time_, she thought.

Then, her headache hit her once more and darkness closed in on her.

* * *

Will bounded up the Institute steps, passed the pews and punched the button calling for the 'elevator'. As the whirring of the machine reached his ears, he closed his eyes in desperation. How he wished that he hadn't seen anything last night. If he hadn't seen anything perhaps everything would be a little bit better. Perhaps he and Jem would not have had an argument and they would still be the friends they are.

He also wished that he had been more careful. He let his feelings control him the other day. How could he put her life at stake? How could he put _Tess_ at stake? It was sickening for him to do so. Unforgivable. What if she loved him again?

Finally, the elevator came to a stop and Will pushed back the grates to see none other than Tessa Gray. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise- at something he didn't know -and Will had to fight the sudden urge to hit himself at her appearance.

Tessa's hair fell around her tired and solemn face. Her eyes were red with what he assumed was a night of fitful sobbing and her lips were turned down into a frown. The worst part is that he knew that he was the one that caused her to look this distraught... and still as beautiful. She looked like a broken angel. Although, he knew it was wrong to admire her now. She could be even more beautiful if she's happy and smiling. Will knew that that would never happen as long as he is around her. He may have asked for her forgiveness and has been forgiven (and how happy he was!), but she was better off with another. Someone who wouldn't endanger her. That was why he also avoided her that morning. Ducking around the corner like the coward he truly was.

'Will.' She greeted him, her voice small and- as he thought -pained.

He gave her a nod in return, but did not move. Then, she made to move around him. Will stepped back to let her go. Tessa was walking down the church when she suddenly stopped and turned. She looked him in the eye. 'I'm sorry, Will.' Her beautiful gray eyes were glinting and Will shook his head to say that it was alright. He would have said it in words, but he was afraid what else may come out of his cursed mouth. He also wanted to ask where she was planning to go, but it wasn't his business and it was better for her if he didn't ask.

She gave him one last look, turned and left.

It appears as if she's made up her mind.

* * *

_Please let this be the one_, Magnus thought as he flicked to another chapter of the book he was holding. He had been searching for Clary's cure since early that morning.

The afternoon light filtered through the windows of his home, glinting off the glitter in his air and the light they reflected bounced around the room making him feel like a disco ball. Although, he knew now was not the time to party. Perhaps after all their problems. But for now, they all have to suffer. 'Finally!' He whispered as his eyes scanned over the chants. It wasn't complex, but it wasn't easy either. He'll probably have it ready by tomorrow or the day after that if their trip to Alicante will get in the way.

_Alicante..._ Magnus thought as he remembered the significance of the place to him. It was the place where Alec found his courage and declared to everyone that he's gay. Declared it for him. It was also where Alec introduced Magnus to his parents. He found that moment rather promising.

The familiar sound of the buzzer ran throughout his home and Magnus crossed his room and pressed the button that will let him talk to whoever was outside. 'Who is it? I'm-'

'It's Alec.' Magnus' heart skipped a beat. Then, he pressed the button to let Alec in. A couple of seconds later, Magnus opened the door to let the boy in.

He had thought that he would look like he usually did. Sulky. However, he looked furious. 'Where were you?' His tone held rage- which is rather uncharacteristic for him -and Magnus flinched at his words. 'I haven't seen you since this morning.'

'Here.' Magnus said as he swept his hand in front of him. 'I was looking for Clary's cure.' He held up the Book of the White and Alec glared at it.

'Well,' his anger had lessened in intensity, 'why didn't you tell me? I haven't had a lot of chance to talk to you lately. Probably because of Will-'

'Alexander!' Magnus cut him off as he heard the disgusted tone in Alec's voice. The warlock closed his eyes and took a deep breath in before continuing. 'I told you already. Nothing, happened between me and Will! What keeps giving you the idea?' He really couldn't be bothered fighting with Alec now especially since he needs to help Clary to help Jace and to make Alec happy since he also cares for Jace. However, Alec was in the top list of his priorities and he needs to fix their problems first.

Alec's wrath was revealed. 'It's because you haven't been talking to me lately! And the only thing you're doing is going after him-'

'I am not going after him.' Magnus interrupted him once again, his voice firm. 'We never had anything between us. He was only a friend I needed to help.'

'What type of help?' The warlock gasped at the implication in Alec's tone. 'You're the one who told me you liked blue eyes black hair. What stops me from thinking you only went out with me because I look like him?'

Magnus leaned on the chair behind him and placed his face in his hand, the Book of White pinned between his side and his arm. 'That's not true. You ask Will yourself. He'll deny it.' His voice came out muffled between his fingers. 'Besides, it's the past. It doesn't matter!' He raised his head to see an unconvinced Alec. Magnus felt like hitting himself. How did everything lead to this?

'Well,' Alec said as his chest rose and fell in anger, 'I hate to tell you, but the past has come back.' With that, he whirled around, seized the doorknob and slammed the door shut behind him. Magnus listened as he clambered down the steps and left the building altogether.

'Alec...' he whispered as he slid to the floor.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Soooo. Here's the long awaited Chapter TWENTY! Wow. I never expected to make it. Chapter Twenty. I fear that it'll take me only five chapters more to end this fanfic. Oh no! The end is looming. :( **

**I'm quite sad seeing this go to an end. It's been so fun. I've re-read the past chapters to remind myself of exactly what I wrote down. I actually laughed at some of them. The fighting scenes made me grin too. The sappy love scenes made me fidget (because sappy love scenes always make me fidget, as for why that is unknown to me). Finally, the absolute idiocy of Jace and Will Herondale, I've missed. Now, I know what Tessa means when she says she's made friends of characters. **

**As for this chapter, I am so sorry it is so short. I thought it was best this way. Keeping it short. You'll understand as you read.**

**Oh yeah, because I read Clockwork Prince, I had to match some of the stuffs to this fanfic. So, just so you know, I made a few changes in Chapter Seven and Chapter Nineteen. Surprise, surprise. It's about Will.**

**DO NOT RE-READ CHAPTER SEVEN OR NINETEEN IF YOU HAVEN'T READ CP AND YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS! I FORBID YOU! BECAUSE IF YOU DO SO, YOU SHALL FOREVER MAKE YOURSELF LOSE SATISFACTION OF READING A FANTASTIC BOOK! DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES AS I DID!**

**Disclaimer: No. Still not Cassandra Clare.**

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-

Tessa left before the tears could roll down her cheeks.

She had her back on him, but she can still sense his gaze on her. Her heart thudded and she wanted to push it down, but it's like trying to calm a violent storm. Love is passionate. Nothing can calm it.

So she didn't stop the storm as she made her way down the steps and turned the corner. She was making her way to the same place where Magnus had created the Portal to Idris. She had seen Jem's note on her bedside table, asking her to meet him there that lunch. _Did __I __make __the __right __decision?_ Tessa asked herself over and over again, her heart struggling to catch up with what her mind has done.

Ever since she woke up that morning, she couldn't stop thinking about what she would do. First, she cried as silently as she could. She remembered the intensity of the pain, the burning sensation it made as it crawled all over her. It hurt so much she couldn't face them at breakfast. Sophie tried giving her something to eat, but she turned down the offer.

After this, she thought about her options.

The first two carried the same consequences. Both boys would suffer heartbreak and they may _never_ speak to each other. Yet, they were _parabatai_. They were brothers. They loved each other. She can never sever their connection. She hadn't the heart to do so.

And that was the use of the third option; just leave both of them. Tell them both that they were not what she had in mind. At worst, it'll hurt only _her_. She'd rather they despise her rather than they stop caring for each other.

She had stared at the walls of the New York Institute for more than an hour after that. Deciding.

Then, she made up her mind. She cannot remember how she reached her conclusion, but she had.

_Oh, __please,_ she begged as she looked up at the blue sky. Under all the layers of pollution, she could see the endless blue. The brightness of the sun. It was not right. Why was it so beautiful a day when things were so terrible?

Tessa finally made it to the place. She remembered the wild grass and the disappearing path of what used to be roses. She took a few more steps when she heard a rattling sound of chains.

"_Hello, __my __dear_."

* * *

Will was in one of the sitting rooms at the Institute. He was alone. The boy had thrown himself on one of the red couches, his left arm slung across his face to hide what was otherwise his readable eyes. His eyes that were revealing everything.

Her retreating figure had been a sharp twist at his chest. _So __she __chose __Jem. __Good._ He told himself. The pain intensified as he interpreted her actions. The apology, the leaving. He knew it would come to this.

So why couldn't he accept it? _She __chose __Jem, __now __stop __sulking. __There__'__s __nothing __you __can __do. __Besides, __she__'__s __better __off __this __way_. He kept trying to convince himself. _She's better off without you_. But it still sounded like lies to his ears. He still could not believe what he was telling himself. He could not believe it even if he saw it with his own eyes. Somewhere deep in him, a voice was telling him that it was not the end.

He made a growling noise and threw the dagger he was holding. He heard a thud soon followed by a crash. He must've hit something fragile for he heard a light tinkling sound, like rain. It was quite satisfying. He reached for another one, hidden under his jacket, and pulled his hand back-

The door to the sitting room burst open and Will nearly dropped the dagger in surprise. He stood up straight and saw Jem.

"Will-" he was gasping and his eyes were wide, the silver in them shining with anger and- what was so much worse -fear.

He stood on shaking legs. "What's wrong?"

But he already knew the answer.

"Tessa," Jem gasped as he ran to Will. He thrust a folded piece of paper at him and Will looked down at it.

_To our fellow warriors,_

_ We would just like to say the following so that we are clear as to what will happen tomorrow. _

_ We have Tessa Gray. Believe us when we say this, we will kill her. We will kill her if you don't let us release the demons who shall change the mundane perspective of the world. No. They are NOT safe from otherworldly beings. Of stuff of myth and legends. Of characters from bedtime stories. Of the feared beings from their sacred Bible. We shall let them know of Nephilim. _

_ If you stop us, she will die. _

_ That is our deal._

_Sabre Mortmain_


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's another chapter. This one is quite short, but the reason for this is the same as the last chapter. I promise that the next chapter will be long though.**

**The only thing I can say is happy reading.**

**Disclaimer: No. Not Cassandra Clare.**

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-one-

The Consul read over the note once again. Meanwhile, the Shadowhunters in the amphitheater started shouting over each other, their voices all forming into one single buzz that hurt Will's head.

He, along with Jem, Charlotte and Robert Lightwood were standing at the centre of the amphitheatre. They had arrived in Idris straightaway to talk about the note. Now, every Shadowhunter of every Institute around the world was gathered and practically losing their minds over a note. They were taught to outlast anything and everything. Face fear and death. To remain calm. And yet, all it took was a couple of sentences.

In contrast, the Downworlders sat in silence, their faces calculating. Will would've laughed at their expressions, but the current consequences forbid him.

His fists clenched at his sides. _Tessa_. He sighed deeply as he closed and opened his eyes. Who knew that Mortmain's descendants were just as a lunatic and as a bastard as he? Sabre Mortmain is planning to release demons! Around the world! _And yet, she has Tessa!_

With a cold realisation, Will noticed that every Shadowhunter was talking about protecting their Institute, about protecting the mundanes, about protecting their families. About protecting everyone _except_ the girl who Will Herondale fell to his knees for.

_What __about __Tessa?_

'HEY!' it was not he that called out above all the voices. It was Jem.

Will turned to his _parabatai _in surprise and admiration. Jem's eyes were glinting, silver discs that could cut through you. Anger. Something he rarely showed. This event could might as well be put down in the Shadowhunter history for the Angel's sake! Jem Carstairs? Angry? Will can't say that he was unhappy about it. In fact, he was quite joyous. They have always mistaken him as weak. 'What about Tessa?'

'Tessa?' the Inquisitor asked stupidly.

William felt anger rise in his throat. 'The girl she held hostage,' poison clearly leaked in his tone. 'Tessa Gray, the shapeshifter. She _has_ her. We _need __to __save __her_.' Will glared at the Inquisitor who seemed to shrink back at his words. The blue-eyed boy made a sound of disbelief as he stepped forward. Somehow, at that moment, everything started to blur around him. Words, except that of the Inquisitor, became incomprehensible. Faces were smudged. The black gear they all wore- except for the Downworlders -have become dark, leering shadows.

'William Herondale,' the Inquisitor's eyes have suddenly become gentle, 'sometimes, we have to make sacrifices.' The world was starting to lose its colour, its sounds were fast disappearing.

But he still managed to hear this, 'In this case, Theresa Gray is our sacrifice.'

As sudden as the world nearly disappeared around him, as sudden as it came back. Will ran and jumped. He soon found himself on the Inquisitor, yelling at him, while Shadowhunters pulled him back. He heard the Consul telling the Shadowhunters to take him to the dark, underground cells of the Gard so he could learn his lesson. Will heard Charlotte and Jem protesting as two men tried to pry him off, but he punched them. Two more replaced them.

As Will proceeded to kick another Shadowhunter, he heard a voice, loud and clear. 'STOP IT!' Clary Morgenstern's fiery red hair stood out in contrast to her dark gear. At the corner of his eye, Will could see Jace running to her. He arrived by her side, but shook off his hand on her shoulder. 'What are you all _DOING_?' She yelled. Her voice echoed throughout the amphitheatre. 'Why are we turning our backs on each other?' Clary has made her way to the centre of the large room. 'Aren't we meant to stand, side by side?' The Shadowhunters pinning Will looked at each other. 'Let go of him.' She said and the two men let go of Will.

Will straightened while the Inquisitor darted away. The blue-eyed boy then looked at Clary and gave her a nod of thanks.

The colour was starting to strain from her face, shadows were forming under her eyes. She looked sick. She looked like she was _really_ about to die.

And yet, she had all of their gazes on her at that moment. Listening. Watching.

'We are Nephilim. We fought together to defeat Valentine. We fight together all the time. So, why, at our time of greatest need, are we turning our backs on each other?' She finally made it to the centre, beside Charlotte and Jem. Jace, as Will noticed, was frozen where she had left him. 'The same goes for Downworlders. The Accords are strong. We are entitled to help them as much as we help ourselves and the people who have no idea that we exist. Tessa Gray is still human. A breathing person with hopes and dreams. A beating heart. Her life lost is still important. One death is as important as a million. How can you do this to her? How can you live, knowing that you left one behind?' Clary looked at all of them as she finished. 'I always thought t-that-' Clary coughed and Will can see Jace running towards her. When he did reach her side, she stopped coughing as she held a hand out to him. She had meant to stop him, but he took her hand.

They looked at each other. Something passed between them. Something that made Clary strong and she drew in a ragged breath, but nevertheless spoke in a voice as clear as day. 'I always thought that good will prevail. That good will run the world. Then, I realised that the people who make up the world- and I mean this as in _everyone_ -are the ones that decide the future of the world, through their actions. Please, do the right thing.' With that, she left the room, Jace trailing behind her.

Will looked at the Consul who was shocked by Clary's words. The Consul then turned to Will as the Inquisitor got up behind him. 'You have until midnight to find and rescue Tessa Gray without Mortmain knowing.'

With that, he bolted out of the room.

* * *

**A/N: Did you like it? How about the speech? I would've worked on it to make it more... powerful. More inspirational. Instead I found myself blathering on. The thing is, there is not much to say.**

**Maybe I'll rework on it in the future, but at the moment... nah. I'm tired. **

**I hope to publish the next chapter tomorrow. Maybe then, I'll fix that speech. It's getting on my nerves. **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hello! There's not really much to say except that I hope you like this. This isn't as short as the other one. See? I kept my promise. **

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare.**

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-Two-

'CLARY!' Jace yelled after her. The sound echoed throughout the corridors and disappeared into the amphitheatre behind him, the ringing sending a stabbing pain to his ears. _She's done it again_, he thought both amused and grim. _She's made another speech on behalf of the world._ 'Please!' Jace finally called out as he stopped, the buckles of his shoes clanking. Clary wouldn't come out. He ran after her, but she suddenly disappeared. Their argument that morning hurt her too much.

_And it's because of me_, his face fell in his hands. All they had to go through; thinking they were brother and sister, Valentine's greed, secrets and lies and corruption! They were toys played with. Toys that were broken. Toys that lost their smiles because of the world around them. The world that used them. They had been so caught up with what was happening around them they didn't even spare a glance at what was happening _between them_.

Jace pulled at the golden locks of his hair as he hissed. 'DAMN IT!' he growled and he picked up one of the throwing daggers at his belt and threw it. It shrieked as it cut the air and flipped end over end. It embedded itself on the wall with a crack. Thick spidery lines ran out from the hilt. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. His hair had fallen forward and Jace looked at his feet.

'Jace!' A voice yelled and the golden-haired boy looked up, hoping it was Clary. He turned and his face fell. It was Will. Behind him was Jem who had something wrapped around his hand. He was writing something on the back of his hand with a stele. 'Can you please tell Clary that she's being ridiculous!' His face looked wild, his black hair disheveled. 'Jace!'

The boy stared at him until the words became comprehensible to him. _Clary_... _ridiculous_... _please_. 'What are you talking about?' Jace didn't have enough energy to apply sarcasm or hatred in his voice. It was monotone.

Neither did Will. 'She wants to come with us to save Tessa.'

No there was emotion in his voice. 'WHAT!' Jace gawked at Will, then saw the glint of red a few ways away. The boy ran towards her. 'What in the name of the Angel are you thinking?' he spat in her face and Clary flinched, clearly hurt. Jace caught a glimpse of himself through his reflection on the window. His hair was also messed, his face just as wild. His eyes were a predatory glare. The cords of muscle along his neck and arms and torso stood out.

_Oh God_, he thought. _What happened to me?_ The boy turned back to Clary. Clary. Fiery red hair. Stubborn emerald eyes. Small, freckled face. _His Clary_.

Reflexively, he pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. His face buried in her hair and he breathed her in. He'll _never_ let her go. 'I'm sorry,' he gasped as he felt a twisting at his chest. 'I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you. Anything. I swear on the Angel. I swear on my life.'

'Let me save Tessa.' Her fists knotted his shirt.

Jace growled. 'Except that.'

'You swore on the Angel.' She whispered and Jace laughed humourlessly. 'I'm stubborn. I know. But let me do something. I'm tired of standing back and watching people die. What d'you think I trained for?' You could hear the determination in her voice.

Jace's arms tightened around her. He thought over things. He thought about the pros and cons. The consequences. The... the deaths.

Then a spark of an idea formed in his mind. _What if? But, then..._ His eyes looked down at a sea of red. Clary. ... _Do I really have any other choice?_

He pulled away from her. Clary looked up at him, hopeful. 'I'm coming with you.'

'No.' She said firmly as she pushed away from him.

Jace sighed heavily as he raked his curls back. 'It's the least you could do in gratitude. I can't stay back here Clary!' The sudden rise of his voice startled him and he pushed it down again. He tried again. Gently. '_You_ matter. _I_ can't stay back watching you get hurt.' He placed his hands on her shoulders. 'I can never let that happen. I would kill myself. _Please_,' he whispered as he levelled his eyes with her, 'let me come with you.'

For a moment, they just looked at each other. The world disappeared around them, melted away. Jace kept pleading at her. Clary looked at him with big eyes on the verge of tears. 'I could find your cure, Clary.'

Here eyes widened even more and they searched his face.

She nodded.

Jace sighed heavily, as if a great burden has been lifted from his shoulders. However, as he pulled her close, he realised that another weight has come on him. This one was so much heavier than the previous.

'The Pandemonium Club,' Jem whispered behind them and Jace turned, not letting Clary go. Everyone has turned to him. Jace realised that he had drawn a tracking rune on his hand. The boy's eyes opened and they looked at Will. The golden-haired boy noticed something different about Jem. He looked... _less pale_. 'That's where Tessa is.'

'The Pandemonium Club?' Will repeated and turned to Jace and Clary. They both looked at each other. The place clearly had a significance to them.

'I know that place.' They said in unison.

* * *

They took a taxi towards the Pandemonium Club. However, they decided to get dropped off earlier, in case Sabre Mortmain's associates surrounded the Club. 'Alright,' Jace said as the girl beside him rubbed her hands together. It _was_ awfully cold. The moon hung among the smeared clouds, a silver ethereal disc. They were covered by the shadow of a another building and their black gear blended in with the darkness. Perhaps, if from a distance, the only thing you would be able to see were the glints of their blades, Jem's silvery hair, Jace's golden one and Clary's stark red. 'It's best if we split up. How about a two hundred metre radius from the Club?' The group nodded.

'I'll go around the back of the establishment,' Will volunteered. His pulse had been hammering in his ears, the blood singing in his ears. The colour was high in his cheeks. It was what he always felt before a battle. At the same time, however, his heart was a thundering, irregular metronome. His eyes were dangerously sharp. His fingers kept twitching towards his assortment of razor-sharp blades. Throwing daggers, misericords, seraph blades. He even had a bloody _chakram_! He would kill Sabre Mortmain that night, and he would enjoy it.

'I'll go on the east,' Jem said beside him. His face was less pale now. Less sickly looking. He had taken _yin fen_ before he left. He was leaning on his cane. His eyes glinted like a cat's against the darkness. 'I'll back-up Will.' He didn't look at Will though.

'I'll go at the front and Clary'll be taking the west side. I'll back her up.' Jace whispered and Clary nodded along, her curls bouncing. 'We'd probably need a signal.'

'How about the Morse Code using the witchlight?' Clary asked and Jace shook his head. Will would've made a sarcastic comment, but his mind was on killing Mortmain. 'Alright, if somebody's inside, just let a flare of witchlight.'

'So that we can all go in and get slaughtered?' Jace frowned. 'I don't think so.'

'We don't have time for this.' Jem whispered, worry in his tone. 'We're running out of time.'

Jace sighed. 'Alright. There's no need for a signal. As long as you hear the sound of blades clanging, just rush in. Now, we need to know who goes in first.'

'Will and I can do that.' Jem said, and finally looked at his _parabatai_.

His friend nodded. 'You and Clary can stay back and enter the club when the other guards have left in search for us.' They turned to the other two. 'We'll be a diversion as well as an attack. Besides, Mortmain expects us. Not you two.'

They agreed. 'I'll take care of killing Mortmain.' Will said and Jem suddenly turned on him.

'You can't face her alone.'

'James...'

'Will,' something in Jem's tone made Will turn to him with concern on his face, 'I'm your _parabatai_.'

The other boy opened his mouth, clearly about to shout to his brother, when Clary volunteered. 'I'll look for Tessa.' The topic was enough to avoid the argument. This time, it was Jace's turn to look at her.

'Mortmain is most likely with her.' Jace whispered, clearly trying to not sound angry.

'Then what do you want me to do?' she asked him with irritation in her eyes. 'I told you, I can't just stand around-'

'I agree with Clary.' Will whispered and Jace glared at him. 'I'll go in first, distract Mortmain, get her away from Tessa then Clary can get her out.'

'You mean _we _will,' Jem reminded Will. He ignored this.

'Alright.' Jace tore his glare from Will to look at Clary. 'Only when they're away from Mortmain. Before that, you're behind me as we enter.' Clary looked like she was about to argue, but said nothing. 'Good. I'll be helping out with what is most necessary. I would like to kill Mortmain myself, but it seems as if you two deserve that chance. Not I.' Jace said, looking back at the two.

For a moment, silence fell upon them.

Then they bolted to where they needed to go. They were soundless, slinking like cats. Wrapped by shadows. Jem was still behind Will and he soon sped up to run next to him as they made their way around the Pandemonium Club. The small breeze that blew by pushed their hair away from their faces. 'Will, I'm sorry.'

The boy turned to Jem. Shock was evident in his face. They turned the corner. 'No,' Will shook his head, '_I'm _sorry. I'm so selfish-'

'_I'm_ sorry Will. I didn't mean to let this come between us. I love you. You're my brother. I broke it apart just like that.' His voice cracked at the end of his sentence.

'Jem,' Will sighed and he slowed down and stopped. Jem did the same. Once again, the shadows covered them. 'you're right for her. She must choose you. She _did_.' Will had accepted it, finally. He felt happy that he accepted it. He felt... _peaceful_. He may not be loved in return, but loving someone is just as powerful. It made him feel human. Feel like he actually did something good for the past five years. It was a great capability to love. To love so _humanly_. It was a powerful emotion. Something that cannot be explained. Only shown.

But Jem wasn't feeling the same as he. Something was warring in him. Brotherhood and true love. 'You can't say that-'

'Yes.' Will said, gently. 'I know it. She chose you,' Will put his hand on Jem's shoulder and he pulled up a smile, 'and I'm happy for you.'

'But I'll die.' Jem nearly choked on his words and Will glowered at his friend.

'I'll find a cure. Jem, you can't live like this!' He nearly shouted.

Jem shook his head. 'You don't see her. You don't see the way she looks at you. I'd rather she was happy.'

Will looked up at the night sky with a sigh. They can't keep arguing like this, not right now. There was a very important life at stake.

They looked intently at each other. Will decided to end the conversation. 'How about let's go in, save her, and find out who she really chose?' There was humour in his voice, which was odd considering the certain circumstances.

The humour was reflected in Jem's eyes. 'Alright.' He smiled, finally. '_Xiōngdì_.'

Will grinned. The word had found meaning once again.

They ran. Two people who are so different, yet with similar values and goals. A shared loved for a girl with blue-gray eyes. They weren't just _parabatai_. They were brothers. They would laugh together. They would cry together. They would fight together. They would die together.

In his mind's eye, Will saw himself as he was introduced to Jem. He remembered his then weak hands, which he took in his strong ones. Then, a flash of memories passed by his head. Encouraging Jem to speak. Making him smile. Practicing together. Laughing. The sunlight bouncing off his once dark hair as he stepped in his ring and they became _parabatai_. Lessons on Mandarin. First fight together. Facing Gabriel Lightwood together. Jem standing up for him when people looked down on him as vermin. He standing up for Jem as people thought him weak. His company is what saved him from dying inside before Tessa came. It was his turn to give back to Jem. Jem who had given him so much.

He knew, without knowing how he knew, that he wasn't going to live the next day.

* * *

**A/N: D'you like it? Please do tell me. I'm anxious. ****I fear I'm losing the capability to write well. For some reason, I think the way I wrote the chapter is terrible. It's so... hollow. Please tell me if you liked it. If you felt and dreamed and hoped like the characters. Or if you even felt anything at all! **

**Oh well. Until next time I suppose. I'm off to play Final Fantasy because, finally, I get to write the scene I've always wanted to write in this fanfic. It has been my dream since I wrote the plot. **

**I get to write the action scene.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I dearly hope you like this chapter. It isn't short, yet it isn't long. I decided to cut the action scene into two. I liked it better like that. :D**

**But I really hope you liked this because this is _hard_. As in it's very hard to write. I don't know. In this one, it was very hard to portray emotions. To explain. To describe. Moreover, I nearly had writer's block. **

**Although, the truth is this. This was very hard to write, because th****is** is important.

**So pay attention to what happens.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare nor Charles Dickens who's work _A Tale of Two Cities_, I briefly quote. **

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-Three-

He hugged the cold stone walls of the buildings surrounding the club, keeping close to the shadows. In the distance, the Pandemonium stood as a four-storey building. The moonlight glinted off the small square windows and the rubbish that were impelled by the breeze to skitter here and there. It was a symmetrical building with a simple structure. It looked almost like a box. It was rectangular and it didn't have a slanted roof. Only a flat one. The club was surrounded by other buildings at its south, west and east, but not it's front. The facade faced a lonely street.

There were what seemed like lamps surrounding the back and front of the club, illuminating its brick walls and its heavy doors. Will tried to remember what Isabelle called them in the new world. Street lamps, that was it. The light that streamed from them wasn't constant. It flickered every now and then, threatening to die out at any moment. However, under them you could still see the watchful gazes of Sabre Mortmain's pawns, their black and white hair rippling in the breeze, their clothes made of Shadowhunter material and their skin richly decorated with licking black Marks.

_Damn_.

There were six of them that he could see, guarding around the back and the east. The Shadowhunter wondered how many there are overall, but dismissed the thought. He had to focus on his share. In order for them to succeed, they need to do their assigned jobs and do it _well_. Just like in any other fight with a horde of demons.

He had to make the first move. That was the plan.

Will covered a hundred and fifty metres as he took two of his misericords. They were thin enough to be able to get through parts of the Shadowhunter gear that were weakest. Along the neck was the most preferable spot. He would only assume that Jem would take three down and he'd take the other half.

Like a predator, he eyed his prey. His breath was silent, his footfalls light. Two of them turned to the side.

Will's arm pulled back then shot forward, throwing the misericord. It flipped end over end and he took the other thin dagger and flung it at another. You could hear the sound it made as it cut through their common carotid arteries. In moments, the two fell to the ground, their hands flying to their necks. The last one looked down at them in horror and Will darted at him.

He held one of his ordinary daggers and as the pawn looked up, he threw the dagger. The man's head shot back and he fell to the ground. Meanwhile, at the corner of Will's eye, he saw Jem darting at the surprised goons.

_Clang_. The sound of metal on metal resonated throughout the air and Will dashed towards Jem. As the his _parabatai_ flicked one of the goons' blade into the air, he back-kicked at the one rushing up behind him. Then, he caught the blade and slashed at another one. The traitor fell back as the person Jem had back-kicked straightened, a blade in their hand-

Will threw the_ chakram_ and managed to deter the goon from hurting Jem. He had slashed their chest and the man started yelling and turned their attention on Will who have caught the _charkam_ on its way back.

He ran to him and Will flung the _chakram _again. The man fell to the floor as blood started pooling around him. Meanwhile, Jem had managed to get rid of the last one, but there were six more coming.

Will and Jem hurriedly made their way to the back doors of the club. On the way there, Will whispered on his angel blade and it flared. The white light was so bright against the cold darkness that it_ literally_ blinded the other traitors that rushed up to them. As they covered their faces with their arms, Jem darted between them, the blade that protruded from his cane slashing at them with a vigorous sideways motion. Will heard six bloodcurdling cries and Jem stood by his side once more.

Just like that, they got rid of the pawns.

The _parabatai_ looked at each other and stepped back. Then, they both ran up to the double doors and kicked it at the same time.

They flew open and the knights darted into the darkness.

The Pandemonium Club was pitch-black. Even their glowing angel blades couldn't provide enough light for them. The doors closed behind them with a loud ringing sound and, instantly, they stood back to back, their blades bared. Instinctively, Will reached for his witchlight-

A hand caught his shoulder and Will can feel hot breath brush his throat. He kicked at the figure with a yell and he could hear Jem's head whipping left and right. 'What is it?'

Will didn't manage to injure whatever _it_ was. 'I don't-' He saw a stark white figure dart in his line of sight and his heart raced. 'Jem?' He saw another one. 'I think-'

_Fangs_. Will thrust his blade forward and the vampire's hands scrabbled at the blade as blood spurted from its mouth (which was impaled with the blade), spraying Will in the face. With a sound of disgust, he swung the blade and the vampire slid from it, leaving a gaping hole in its head. At the same time, Will heard Jem cry out and they stood back to back as vampire's darted at them here and there, laughing. They lunged for them, but the darkness made them blind.

'I can't get them!' Jem yelled as he kicked at one that nearly bit him. They kept laughing a piercing laugh. It was like nails scratching a chalkboard. 'Something's wrong with these vampires!' He grunted as another tried grabbing his leg. 'They seem as if they're altered! Mutated!'

Will hit one on the back of their head as he saw it try and bite off his arm. The vampire scampered away and Will would've gone after it if he didn't have to stay with Jem. 'We need to hurry!' He shouted as he swung the blade in front of him. 'Tess-'

There was a louder, piercing shriek and the sound of something fizzing, dissolving. Then, there was a flash of light and Will saw Jace and Clary in the distance. At Jace's feet was a vampire howling, its perfect skin melting away at the holy water.

'Go!' Jace yelled at them as he held a bottle and threw it at vampires that darted to them. They hissed as the holy water made contact with their skin and dissolved. Will just realised they were surrounded by nearly fifty of them. 'What are you DOING?' He shouted and Jem grabbed Will who was still trying in vain to kill a vampire.

'Will let's go!' They ran towards what looked like stairs, kicking, punching and slashing at vampires that tried to stop them, blood spraying everywhere. These vampires looked wild and they wore ragged clothes. As if they were homeless people by the streets. But they're eyes- even if they _were vampires_ -were still black. They seemed _possessed_ by something much, much darker.

They clambered up the stairs as the sound of Jace and Clary's swords faded. Will staggered for a second and just realised that one of the vampires succeeded in slashing his right leg. _Damn it_. He hissed at the inch deep wound and Jem looked at him in worry. 'Don't worry about it.' He said before Jem could say anything.

They reached the landing to the second floor. Jem reached out, twisted the doorknob and let the door swing open. It made a creaking sound as the two of them, blades in hand, stepped in.

The second floor was bare, except for thick chains that hung from the ceiling like tinsel on Christmas. The floor was dusty and was illuminated by little pockets of moonlight that streamed in through tiny windows. Across from them was another set of stairs. They ran for it-

'NOT SO FAST!' Will saw a slash of orange at the corner of his eye and they immediately jumped back before it could slice them in half. The orange slash hit the wall, shaking the room, making the chains rattle.

There was another and he rolled away as Jem jumped and pulled himself up with the chains, narrowly avoiding the slash. It sent another rumble.

Will landed in a crouch and he saw Ivan Warnock grinning like it _was _Christmas. He clicked his fingers and orange flared around him, highlighting the yellow of his hair and darkening the purple. 'Hello. Come to save your pretty little friend?' Hecackled.

Will growled at him as Jem dropped down beside him. 'Of course. How can anyone let _that _go to waste?' Will turned to see the werewolf. 'That-'

Jem had thrust his blade into the werewolf's stomach. The werewolf growled at him. Then, in a fraction of a second, he gripped Jem's cane and pulled it out. Then, he hit the silver-haired boy across the torso. 'JEM!' Will shouted as his _parabatai_ flew across the room and crashed into the wall. Jem fell off and Will could see the result of the impact; cracks on the wall and blood running from Jem's temple. Will ran to the sniggering werewolf, his angel blade bright and raised above him. '_WHY YOU_-'

A searing hot pain raked across his back and Will fell forward as he hissed. The werewolf caught him then _punched_ him. Will could hear a sickening crack as he stumbled and fell to the floor. His breath got knocked out of him as he hit the ground, stirring up a flurry of dust. They laughed and he could hear someone kick his seraph blade away. He saw the light die out.

Will propped himself up as he dragged in oxygen through bloodied lips. He looked up to see Jem stirring. Then, Will took a misericord hidden among his sleeves and jumped up and kicked Ivan Warnock in the face. The warlock fell backwards and hit the floor, catching himself with his arm. That was his mistake as he bent his right arm. He yowled in pain.

Then, strong arms surrounded the Shadowhunter's neck and Will pulled back his foot and kicked the werewolf's kneecap with his heel. He heard another crack as the werewolf howled at his ear and loosened his grip on Will. Then, Will turned and hit his jaw with his elbow. The werewolf's head shot back and Will thrust the misericord into his throat. He could hear the werewolf gurgle and blood started to bubble up and out of his mouth as he fumbled with the blade. 'Die _filth_,' Will whispered as he turned away from the werewolf and walked up towards Warnock. The warlock stared at him with wide eyes, his right arm was completely useless.

Then, he raised his palm to Will and orange fire shot from it. Will ducked just in time and Warnock straightened and ran off but not before a flying dagger embedded itself in his back and he stumbled forward. His wings twitched, then he didn't move.

Will turned and saw Jem, his arm outstretched. He was clutching his side. His chest rose and fell heavily 'That...' he said between gasps, '... was for your unnecessary comment about Tessa.' Jem let his arm drop and looked at Will. 'Come on.'

Will took his misericord from the werewolf and wiped the blood on his sleeve as he ran for his seraph blade. He placed the misericord back in his sleeves pocket and picked up the angel blade. It glowed brightly once more.

Will picked up Jem's cane as he ran to his _parabatai_. He was leaning on the wall, his cheeks were brightly spotted with red as was the side of his face. His eyes scrunched closed. His silver hair was pasted with his red blood and sweat. Will hesitantly gave Jem his cane and Jem gripped it. Will decided to take out his stele-

'No.' Jem shook his head. He opened his eyes. and stared at Will. 'If anything, you need it more than me.' It was true.

The red-hot searing pain was still there, but he pushed it down as well as the throbbing of his face and his right leg. Will, knowing that Jem would continue arguing with him, pocketed the stele and led the way to the third floor.

This time, they were quieter and when they reached the landing, Will held his breath. He gripped his blade tightly, then turned the doorknob and let it swing open.

What was beyond the door made them rush in, letting their guard fall.

Will heard a shrieking sound.

* * *

_CLANG_! The very sound of metal on metal made Tessa flinch and her eyes widen. 'D'you hear that?' the woman whispered in her ear in a voice as sweet as chocolate. 'That is the sound of battle. Of lives lost,' Tessa closed her eyes as she fought down the sobs rising in her throat, 'Of people dying.' Sabre Mortmain straightened and made her way around the girl, the pointy ends of her bow scraping the ground. Then, she sat back on her heels before Tessa and stared at her with her cold bi-coloured eyes. Honey gold. Pitch black. 'Of people dying because of you.' She smiled a mocking smile.

Tessa felt the anger rise in her. She could sense it. She could see it. She could taste it. She could taste it's bitterness in her mouth, its cold metallic taste. Pure, _bitter anger_. The warlock tried to get up- to do anything to take vengeance on what she was _doing!_ -but the chain prevented any further movement from her, aside from that of shaking her head. It completely snaked around her. She suppose she would scream words at Sabre Mortmain, but her mouth was gagged. So, the only thing Tessa could do was to glare at her. She hoped she could see the anger in them.

She laughed. That must mean she did see it. 'You're too funny.' Sabre said as she crossed her arms in front of her. She was quite tiny. She was also beautiful. A heart-shaped face with the luxury of rosy cheeks, of full lips and an angular nose. She was slim, but Tessa could see the cords of muscle under her Shadowhunter gear every now and then. If it wasn't for her plans on killing the people that mattered the most in this world to Tessa as well as her hopes of releasing demons to kill human beings- living, breathing, _dreaming_, _hoping_,_ loving_ human beings -then she may actually like her. That is, if she wasn't irritating.

Somebody moved behind Sabre Mortmain and Tessa could see the flicker of bat wings. Warnock. Ever since they'd bound her to the dusty floor, he's been inspecting her like a new species of insect. She _hated_ him. 'They're inside,' he said to Mortmain.

'Hmmm...' Sabre turned to her and grinned, flashing pearly white teeth. 'I knew they were going to come for you. I'm sorry Miss Gray,' she shrugged as she waved Warnock away. The warlock left with the werewolf trailing behind him, 'but I just need to get rid of them. They're in my way. You see, I knew they were going to come for you...' Sabre said in her sweet voice and she reached out to brush Tessa's hair out of her face. The girl whipped her head away from her touch, but Sabre had grabbed hold of her hair and pulled them up. Tessa's eyes scrunched closed as she clamped her mouth shut. As she felt the roots of her hair threatening to break off. She _must not scream_. If they heard _her_... That was exactly what Sabre would want. 'You're so _determined_.' Sabre whispered in her ear as she pulled on her hair. 'No wonder...' she scoffed as she let go of Tessa and stepped back. 'Oh well. I suppose I should go sharpen my arrows for them. You wait here,' she pointed at Tessa with raised eyebrows, 'and listen to their screams.' She hummed as she skipped away.

Her head hung. _Please..._ Tessa pleaded, begged. _Please..._ tears had spilled over her eyes and she dragged in a ragged breath.

Everyone was going to die because of her. She couldn't live if that happened. If Will, Jem, Charlotte, Henry, Sophie _died_ because of _her_. If Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Magnus and all the other people that had helped them out _died_ because of _her_. _WHY?_ Tessa screamed in her head. _Why THEM?_ She hopes that Mortmain might as well kill her rather than let her live without something to live for. Life would be worthless then. She will wake up every day just to hear people getting killed. To hear tyranny. Grief. Sorrow. Pain. Torture. _FEAR_. To _remember_ what was lost. To look for what cannot be regained. And to think she's _immortal_. She would walk the ends of this earth in a body. A body without a _living_ soul.

There is a difference- a big difference -between _being alive_ and _living_. To be alive is to exist. To _live_ is to grow. To learn. To see. To breathe. To enjoy. To feel. To dream. To hope. To believe. To _LOVE_. And to feel all these in return.

It's like being an angel with broken wings and beaten lungs and punctured hearts. You don't need chains to keep them where they are. They won't go anywhere. You don't need to gag them to keep them silent. They can't say anything without air. You don't need to torture them to make them cry. They already are because they can't show feelings without a heart (and they want to!), nor can they feel without it (and they would yearn to!).

'NOT SO FAST!' she heard Warnock. A rumbling followed soon after and Tessa's head snapped up. It ended, and started again. She heard Warnock say something to intimidate them. Then, she heard the werewolf say something.

_THUD!_ she flinched- _whimpered_ -at it.

'JEM!' the very words was like somebody was burning her. '_WHY YOU_-' she heard him hiss then a sickening crack followed. The heat intensified and Tessa was shaking, the world was falling away as the licks of fire strangled her. Tears started to roll down her cheeks and she tried to fight against the chains. It was pointless.

She heard them mock him. The sound cut through her like multiple lacerations at her lungs. She was nearly screaming now.

Somebody screamed for her, but it was Warnock. She couldn't believe her ears. As much as she couldn't believe how relieved she was to hear him _scream_.

Then, she heard someone gurgle ghastly and a whisper after that. It was so faint, yet her heart raced at the voice.

Relief.

Realisation.

_FEAR_.

Tessa tried- she did everything she could do in those couple of seconds -to free herself from the chains. She was scrabbling at the cold metal as she tried to get up. She shook, especially her head. Screams were threatening to come out. They were itching at her throat. They were-

The door swung open, creaking...

_Clink_._ Clink_. Tessa continued to shake...

She could see the glow of their seraph blades...

_Clink_._ Clink_. The scream. THE SCREAM.

Their faces. Blood. Sweat. They saw her. They were running to her...

There was a high pitched shrieking...

Her eyes widened. She screamed. It came out muffled, but it was a scream.

Sabre's golden arrow pierced through Jem. The golden shaft was bright in contrast to the Shadowhunter gear. She watched- she could only watch - as the boy she loved stagger back as his hand flew to his shoulder and his face crease in pain. He hissed through bared teeth as he fell to his knees.

Angels _fell_.

'JEM!' Will screamed and threw something- a dagger -behind Tessa. Mortmain laughed as Will looked back at Jem. He whispered something and Jem told him to leave. He _yelled_ at him to leave. Will's eyes were wide like a child's. They were glimmering.

'Go.' Jem coughed as he seized Will's collar and shook him with the last of his strength. Then, he shoved him and Will looked at Tessa.

He gave her a look. A longing look. He looked like he was trying to memorise something.

'_It's a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done. It's a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known_.'

Tessa's eyes widened as he quoted _A Tale of Two Cities_. Quoted Sydney Carton before he- he-

She screamed after him as he ran off, blade in hand. She shook and fought as much as she could. Then she looked up as she heard someone grunting. Jem.

The fires of guilt drowned her once again.

He was getting up. He was _trying_ to get up. 'Tessa,' He placed a smile over his lovely, fragile and pained features. He got up and limped his way to her, his hand clutching the shaft of the arrow. She just noticed that it went _through_ him. The arrow tip was bloodied on the other side.

Jem dropped to his knees before her as hot tears streamed down her face. She could see him through blurs. Using one hand, he untied the cloth at her mouth.

It hung limply around her neck and the first things she said was a cross between a fitful of apologies and a flood of sobbing. Jem shook his head at her and continued to smile. Beneath his smile, however, she could see pain. Tessa then made to get up as she realised how selfish she was. She needed to get Jem out! He needed to be saved. To be cured. 'Jem let's-'

He coughed. Not like the cough he had before. No. This was the cough he had when they first arrived _here_. A violent, shaking cough. One that shook your spirits. One that haunted you at night. _Please_... Tessa thought as she stared at Jem.

Blood sprayed across his chin and he wiped them away as he tried in vain to straighten. Tessa told him to stay put, but he shook his head at her as another bone-shaking cough engulfed him. Tessa tried to help him. He was clutching at his chest, his face streaked with pain, yet she couldn't do _anything_. 'Jem-'

His eyes closed. His head fell on her shoulders.

'JEM!'

* * *

**A/N: Alright. There are some disgusting, blood and gore related stuff here. For that, I am sorry. I just found it necessary. I am considering changing this to M rated, but then, it's not a big part of the plot. Besides, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is rated PG and that has blood. By the way, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is one of the best movies ever! But, if I was the ruler of the world I would proclaim it the best movie ever made. The fight scenes are spectacular!**

**Anyways... I hope you likey. :D Next chapter will be posted as soon as I finish it. I am having a hard time writing right now... The only cure is sweets that would get me hyper which helps with the fight scenes.**

**Until next time I suppose. **


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hey dudes! Here's Chapter Twenty-four! _Twenty-four_! Gosh. That's a lot. **

**:D**

**Enjoy the reading! Meanwhile, I'm going to write Chapter Twenty-Five. I was wrong, the action scene is not split into two. It's split into three. I hope I'm still hyper. I was hyper yesterday because I spent my entire time listening to Korean Pop songs (BIGBANG and 2NEI, XD). Especially 'Lollipop' and 'Love Song' by aforementioned bands. They are so AWESOME! You should look them up. 'Lollipop' by BIGBANG and 2NEI and 'Love Song' by BIGBANG. You should also look up 'Ugly' by 2NEI. I don't understand Korean, but there's something in their songs that make me so hyper.**

**Disclaimer: Definitely not Cassandra Clare and no I do not own the Mortal Instruments or the Infernal Devices. If I do, then I would be constantly calling the producers of the Mortal Instruments movie just to tell them to hurry up. XD**

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-Four-

They disappeared and Clary took out _Sanvi._ She whispered into the blade and, now holding two, blazing angel blades, she hoped that she could in the very least intimidate the vampires into leaving her alone and let Jace know that she could take care of herself and stop being overly protective.

Her hopes fell as this seemed to anger the vampires even more and make Jace move closer to her, using his body as a shield as he began slashing at vampires that kept lunging for them. Clary noticed that they didn't actually _look_ like vampires. They're eyes. They were entirely black.

_And hungry_, she thought grimly as Jace pushed her back. She would've argued with him, but now was not the time. Arguing during a fight won't help them. With a sigh, she turned around and-

A vampire, its mouth opened wide showing its fangs, threw itself at her and Clary instinctively held her blade up. The vampire's fangs collided with the blade and _Sanvi_ literally _broke_ the vampire's teeth. Blood spurted from the vampire's mouth and it began spitting and snarling at Clary. The red-headed girl proceeded on kicking it in the face and bringing her other seraph blade down on its head. It whistled as it cut the air and cut through the vampire's neck. The head lolled, dropped and rolled away.

Clary grimaced and she heard Jace _gasp_ at her. She took the opportunity to boast and make their situation _lighter_. 'A student's as good as their teacher,' Jace laughed- he actually laughed -and she happily slashed at another vampire. Then, she stabbed its heart and again and again. Meanwhile, the vampire had given up on getting away and fell. Another replaced it and Clary performed a move that Jace taught her.

With outstretched arms in the form of a V, she brought down her arms diagonally as she crouched and the vampire suddenly had a big X mark across its chest, blood spotting the X. She finished it by piercing the vampire in the heart and followed it with her other seraph blade. She heard a hissing sound as she pulled back her blades and as the vampire fell backwards. There was an odd satisfaction to it.

_No wonder Isabelle finds this fun_, she smiled. Clary turned around only to gawk.

Jace was gracefully moving through a mass of vampires, his arms mixing into one blurring motion. He looked like he danced, but in truth he slashed at vampires as he darted between them. She could see his scissoring movements, his nimble lunges. He had successfully finished killing ten of them when he turned around and his eyes widened. 'Clary!'

The girl turned and a vampire was in the air, its limbs outstretched, its mouth opened wide showing a set of needle-like fangs. Clary stifled back a scream as she boldly pointed her seraph blades in the air. She heard a sound of hissing and felt something cool sprinkle on her. She opened her eyes to see the vampire impaled by the two seraph blades, its blood dripping on her cheek.

She fought back the scream of horror as she dropped her seraph blades and walked backwards and away from the twitching vampire. Jace had ran to her and _hugged_ her. 'Don't look,' he whispered as he made her face away.

Clary shook her head. _This is what we do_. She pushed away from Jace, ran up to the motionless vampire and pulled her seraph blades out of it. She could see the burn marks as well as the hole she made. 'Let's go,' She mumbled as she turned away and ran for the stairs, fighting back her nausea. Jace ran alongside her.

They reached the landing. The door was open. There was a dead warlock at their feet. A little ways away was a dead werewolf. _They did this?_ Clary thought as she stepped into the room and walked over to the blood. _Is this theirs?_ Jace had appeared beside her who was taking his stele out. She looked at him as he drew an _iratze_ on her. She pulled out her stele and did the same thing to him.

Suddenly, she heard a sound upstairs. Screams. Whispers. Sacrifices. Clary and Jace shared a look, then they bolted out of the second floor.

They finally made it to the landing when they heard Tessa scream. 'JEM!' The sound tore at Clary and as she and Jace entered, she thrust her fist into her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

There, straight through his shoulder, was a golden arrow. The arrow tip was stained with blood. Jem's head had fallen on Tessa's shoulders. Blood was dripping down his chin, his temple. Sweat covered him.

Then there was Tessa.

Thick chains had wrapped around her which she tried- she tried _so hard_ -to free herself from. There was piece of cloth that hung around her neck. Her messy hair fell around her teary face. _Her face_. It was like watching somebody cry as they saw people they love die which in this case, is probably true for her. Jem was having a hard time breathing- the blood kept dripping down from his chin, possibly choking him -and his other injuries were critical. Will was nowhere to be seen. He must've ran after Sabre. Who knows what happened to him?

She was screaming at them for help and Clary shook her head as she ran to her. Jace stayed where he was, his face contemplative.

Clary would've asked him what was wrong, but she was focused on Tessa. She arrived by her side and instantly took out her stele. She closed her eyes and saw the runes necessary for 'unchain'. Clary drew the pattern on the metal, being careful not to hurt Tessa. Clary opened her eyes as she finished drawing the rune and saw a spiralling pattern. Then, the chains fell apart and she saw Tessa hurriedly pull away and hold Jem. '_Please..._' she whimpered as she laid his head across her lap, his blood staining her white dress. '_JEM!_' she shouted and tears rolled down her face.

There was a spark of fire at the edges of her vision and Clary looked up to see Jace sending a fire-message. He then told Clary to give Jem an _iratze_ over his temple but not the shoulder, his voice was devoid of any emotion. 'Why not?' Tessa asked but not tearing her face from Jem's. Her voice was so soft.

'Because we need to take the arrow out first,' Jace looked at Clary. 'I contacted Magnus and he'll be here soon. He'll take you out of here and you'll go to Idris, okay?' There was a look on his face. A look that made her eyes widen. 'Clary-'

She straightened and ran to him. She hugged him and she did _not want to let go of him_. 'No...' she whispered as _her tears _started to spill. 'Jace...'

'I love you.' He pulled up her face and looked at her with his golden eyes. Blood was splattered on his face. She will always remember that face. 'I will always love you whether I am alive or-' She cut off his sentence.

They shared a passionate kiss. She treasured it. Memorised it. Imprinted itself in her brain. This was how things must be. They were _Shadowhunters_.

He pulled away and Jace ran after Will and Mortmain.

* * *

'_COME BACK!_' Will shouted after Mortmain, the images of Jem with the arrow straight through his shoulder and Tessa in chains empowering him to keep moving despite the pain that already clung onto him. '_MORTMAIN!_' He screamed as his grip on the seraph blades tightened, his rage flaring with the blazing glow of the angel blades.

There was a glint of gold and Will jumped out of the way in time. The arrow stuck the dusty floor of the fourth level. He heard another shrieking sound and he rolled away. Another followed after and Will rolled to his left, hiding behind a stack of boxes. He heard Mortmain laugh and he could feel the anger rolling off of him at her insane laughter.

The Shadowhunter crouched and looked around him. Stacks of boxes were scattered here and there, dust piling on top of them. The fourth floor had an an unnaturally high ceiling with wooden beams criss-crossing here and there. He searched for Mortmain up there. For any signs of glinting gold. He edged forward-

Sudden pain hit him in the back and Will fell forward, the impact leaving him breathless and bruising him. He gasped for air at the same time he heard another shrieking sound behind him. He rolled away just in time before one of the arrows pierced his head. He landed in a crouch and side-stepped away as he saw an arrowhead fly towards him. He dodged it in time as he straightened but two more came out of nowhere.

He deflected the arrows with his seraph blades. _Clink!_ He saw two coming on both sides. _Clink! Clink!_ He ran towards a pile of boxes for cover as _ten_ headed his way at the _same time_. He heard the multiple _THUD! _as the arrows hit the box, shaking them. Will looked up and saw a glint of gold.

_Gotcha_, he grinned as he ran up to the wall next to him. In a fraction of a second, he leaped off the wall and reached for one of the beams. His fingers managed to grip one and he pulled himself up- ignoring the agony as his muscles were stretched -and straightened. He was twenty metres up. Will turned away from the possible fall and looked around. He saw another gleam of gold. Crouching slightly, he held both his blades at his side and dashed towards Sabre Mortmain.

His seraph blade clashed with her bow, generating electricity which cackled around the room. Briefly, he saw the psychotic grin, the eyes. The eyes that haunted them. Right before him was the very person that killed them that night. Will growled as he placed his foot behind him and thrust his blade forward. Sabre Mortmain did the same thing and she laughed as the sparks intensified. 'Will Herondale...' she finally whispered in a sweet lulling voice, 'I am _honoured_ to have the chance to kill you.'

'Not before I kill you _first_,' he snarled and Mortmain laughed. Then- she moved so _fast_ -she brought her feet up and kicked him in the stomach. Will clutched at his stomach as he tried not to fall off and she ran up to him and brought her feet down on his head. He dodged just in time-

She performed an axe kick. It caught him in the jaw and Will was thrown backwards. His back hit the wooden beam and he heard a yell of agony. It was his. He grabbed onto the beam with his right arm as one of his seraph blades escaped his grasp and clattered on the floor. It landed a few metres away. His feet dangled helplessly.

Will looked back up to see Sabre Mortmain above him. Then, she held out her bow in front of her- which emanated the same sort of dark glow -and pulled it apart. He saw handles for a sword and Mortmain flicked her wrist. Razor blades ran the length of the rest of her bow.

_Damn_. It was a bow that can turn into scimitars. Henry had tried making one of them before, but failed. Mortmain then crouched before him and stared him in the face. Her bi-coloured eyes were glinting with amusement.

'Do you really want to know why I killed you?' Will's eyes widened and she straightened. He opened his mouth-

Her foot pulled back and slammed on his arm. There was another shout of pain as Will heard a _CRACK!_ Pain shot up his arm and Mortmain proceeded with slamming her foot down again. She laughed as his right arm loosened its grasp and he started to slip. _CRACK! CRACK!_ There were more shouts. It echoed in his ear, speaking impossibility.

Then, he was falling.

His back hit the floor with a loud, nauseating _THUD_! His other seraph blade made an ominous clattering sound as it skittered away from him. Stars appeared at the back of his eyes. His limbs were numb, the pain so _dizzying_ and _intense_ that he couldn't even _scream_. The edges of his vision blurred, but he could still see Sabre Mortmain as she dropped down. In the back of his mind, Will heard someone calling at him. Telling him he failed. That he can't let _that HAPPEN_! 'My, my,' Sabre Mortmain said as she looked down on him. She still held her blades which she pointed at his throat as she _sat_ on him. No. He can't die like this. He needed to continue fighting. He was _WILLIAM HERONDALE_!

With the remainder of his strength, he spat at her. Sabre Mortmain flinched away and he took the advantage to kick her off of him. He darted for his seraph blade then held it with his left arm- since his other one was completely broken -and straightened while Mortmain caught herself. At least his legs still worked even if there were sharp needles of agony prickling him.

Pain flared up around him as his chest rose and fell heavily. Blood pooled around where he fell. Will smirked at Mortmain who was now frowning. 'Just remember,' he pointed at her with his seraph blade as he placed a devilish facade over his pained one. 'I am _William Herondale_,' he grinned that infamous grin, 'and I am a famous for my acts of valour and my incapability to _feel_.'

'So is mine,' a voice said beside him and Will could've laughed especially at the surprised look in Sabre Mortmain's face. Jace appeared out of the shadows, seraph blades at his side, his eyes predatory and dangerous. He stood next to Will and held his blade out the same way as he. 'What now Mortmain?' Jace asked as they looked at her.

Her lips quirked in amusement.

Then she dashed at them. She twirled her scimitars and they both lunged for her. Unfortunately, she had dropped down to her knees and she slid across the floor. Their blades missed her by inches while hers slashed at their legs. Luckily, they both jumped out of the way so only got shallow cuts. It was still an addition to his collection of injuries, though. Sabre straightened and Will and Jace began jabbing at her. Somehow, she still managed to deflect both of their attacks, but there was something in the way she moved and the way her lips twitched that let Will know that she wasn't happy about this.

_CLANG!_ 'I really do hate both of you,' she _snarled _as Jace's blade came inches from her face. You could see her twisted face with the brief light the sparks provided as their swords clashed. She parried Jace's move at the same time Will lunged for her throat.

_CLANG! _she blocked it off as she chuckled humourlessly. 'You're always there to disrupt people's plans. You-' she thrust the scimitar at Jace as she deflected Will's, '-stopped Valentine and you-' she kicked at Will who managed to move away just in time, '-tried to stop my ancestor, _Mortmain_.'

Will's eyes went wide as he raised his seraph blade and brought it down on her, she stepped back. 'Is that why you _killed_ us?' Will growled as Mortmain did a triple back flip and landed softly on the balls of her feet. She leaped up as they rushed at her and she started stepping on the boxes, using them as stepping stones towards the beams. Finally, she reached one of the beams and swung herself up. 'IS THAT _IT?_' Will yelled as he and Jace followed after her.

'Yes.' Sabre Mortmain said as her blades crossed in front of her. Will swung himself on her left and Jace on her right. They started jabbing at her once again. 'I did it because Mortmain was right. Shadowhunters are _imperfect_. He did it for revenge,' She ducked as Will swiped at her head and jumped as Jace swung his blade at her feet. She landed steadily on the beam 'We do _terrible_ things. So I killed you to let him live. Then,..' she trailed off as Jace and Will both swung at her throat. She placed her blades flat against her arm and a loud _CLANG! _resounded followed by a big spark of electricity that lit up the room.

'Then...?' Jace asked and in the light of the electricity, you could see the anger in his eyes. Sabre Mortmain flicked her wrist and shoved their blades away from her. She twirled her blades then jumped and did a split in the air, kicking them both. Jace and Will raised their arms to block themselves and was pushed backwards. Will nearly tipped over and fell, but caught himself and looked up.

She disappeared. 'Look!' Jace pointed to a sudden square of moonlight pooling in and Will looked at the trapdoor towards the rooftop. They ran for it, Will going first.

The breeze whipped at his face as he looked around. He got himself out and rolled away and crouched. Jace's golden head appeared and he, too, rolled away from the hole and crouched. Together, they both straightened as they looked for Mortmain. 'Then I realised that his timing was wrong,' Will whipped around, swinging his blade along with him, but Sabre ducked and kicked his knee. Will staggered backward with a yell and fell at the same time she heard Jace cry out.

Will got up at the same time Sabre parried Jace's move and flicked his seraph blades up. She side-kicked him at the same time she caught the angel blades. Then, she pressed them- the angel blades and her scimitars -together and electricity generated from the metals, lighting up the night and casting an eerie glow to the club and the buildings around it. Will took the misericord from his sleeve as he looked at Sabre. 'He also shouldn't just punish the Shadowhunters, but the mundanes too. They never did anything in _return_.' She looked solemnly at him and he threw the misericord at her at the same time Jace threw a dagger her way. She let them ricochet off the blades and Will dashed at her, gripping his remaining angel blade. Jace did the same thing. She sighed and back flipped away and they- Jace and Will -nearly crashed into each other.

'So that's what you _want_?' Jace asked as he glared at her. He held his last dagger in his hand. 'To get revenge on _everyone_? To those who didn't even do _anything_? This is our _duty_! Whether we live or die, you should do it!'

'It's _right_,' she said matter-of-factly. 'Look. Even I had to kill Mortmain, not until he gets with a woman who doesn't even know that she's a Shadowhunter of course- hint, _my other ancestor_. I had to make sure I lived.'

_WHAT?_ Will stared at her. She betrayed even _Mortmain_? Even Jace looked aghast. It was... _evil_.

She took advantage of their shock and ran up to them. They only had enough time to react, but Mortmain had kicked Jace in the chest and the boy fell back. At the same time, she slashed at his torso and Jace cried out before he fell. Will managed to grab her at a choke hold, trying to stab her, but she did a one-arm over the shoulder trick and Will landed on his back painfully. At the same time, she twisted his left arm and- _CRACK!_ -pain shot up there too.

Then she took one of her scimitars, parted the angel blade from it and _skewered_ his shoulder to the rooftop.

There was a loud piercing scream.

She laughed. His body shook with the agony and Will could feel his blood pulsing away. But he could feel his mouth fill with the red liquid instead. Lights appeared at the back of his eyes and he scrunched it closed as his mouth opened, letting out silent screams. He tried grabbing the blade with his right arm, but since she already broke it, he could only scrabble at it helplessly. He closed his eyes and willed himself to push past the physical pain. To think about what could be lost if he doesn't continue. _Tess..._ her face as he took her in his arms at the park. It was not her face, but he could still sense her under all that. Sense his _Tessa_. He can't give up on her. He's done too much to hurt her. He could in the very least try his _best_ to ensure her safety. '_Tess..._' he spoke her name as if it was the name of angels at the same time clinging on to it to keep _trying_.

Man gives themselves a reason to keep fighting. _She_ was his reason to keep fighting. Fighting against the strong current of pain that kept pushing back at him. That kept stinging the thousand cuts. That kept choking him as blood filled his mouth.

Suddenly, he could hear a sound of something splitting- like a piece of wood torn into two pieces -and feel the warmth of flames. He opened his eyes to see Sabre Mortmain open the doors of hell.

She's letting her demons come out earlier than they expected.

* * *

**A/N: Not much to say except to stay tuned! **

**Also, I am sorry if, somehow during this chapter, I have caused you to flinch or cry out. This _is_ HEAVY.**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Here's Chapter 25! This chapter is very, very important. Why? Because it's 25. As in the 25th of December! CHRISTMAS! YAY! XD**

**Hope you like it. Not much to say because I don't want to spoil _anything_.**

**Disclaimer: I AM NOT CASSANDRA CLARE.**

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-Five-

Jace left the room and, right at that moment, Tessa couldn't help but notice how much he _looked_ like Will. The same determined set of shoulders. The same way they gripped their weapons. The same glint in their eyes as they thought- and thought hard -about what could be lost and what cannot be regained. Tessa Gray's head hung as she caressed Jem's cheek. He was so still, like a statue and that _terrified_ her. His face was creased in silent agony. It was wrong. Although, if he was suffering because of his injuries, she'd rather that than his need for more of the silver drug. Jem _cannot die now_.

A pale hand appeared in her line of vision and Tessa raised her head by a fraction to see Clary, her hand gripping her stele. She had a reassuring smile on her face and Tessa wished she could believe her, but she couldn't.

She pulled up a smile anyways, even if it was only a ghost of a smile that doesn't even hold joy. Meanwhile, Clary had Jem turned to the side and drew an _iratze_ on his temple. Jem didn't move aside from the steady rising and falling of his chest. That was all she could cling onto to stay _sane_.

But she forgot somebody.

There was a loud _CRACK!_ followed by an ear-splitting cry of agony. Tessa could feel the bile rise in her throat as she recognised the voice. She's never heard him like that. Never heard _him scream_. It was _impossible_. It was _DREADFUL_. 'Oh...' she trailed off as her tears choked her and Tessa stood up. She didn't know what to do. 'Oh...' she hugged herself as she started shaking. Shaking so hard that she, _too_, might start screaming. Then, she heard a nauseating _THUD!_ above her and her legs gave way- her breath left her -and she fell to the floor once more. She gripped her hair with her fingers as Clary attempted to calm her. 'I can't- I can't stay _here_!' she whispered fiercely as Clary held her shoulders. 'No-'

There was a _whoosh_ing sound. It startled her enough to make her cry out, but not enough to stop the ringing sound in her ears. The echoing of _William Herondale's scream_. Tessa turned to see Magnus Bane.

His face was filled with worry. His black hair- which used to be so _glittery_ -had lost its shine, the black spikes falling over his cat-like eyes. He wore a simple black overcoat over a pinstripe shirt and black trousers. '_Goodness_,' he breathed as he stared open mouthed. Then, he shook his head and ran towards Jem at the same time the sound of metal resonating- as well as a _crackling_ sound -throughout the room above them resumed. Tessa stared at Magnus, her arms dangling at her sides lifelessly. The echoing was still there.

Magnus said something and Clary nodded. Clary. She was bloodied. Her seraph blade lied beside her. Meanwhile, Tessa noticed something about the way she creased her eyebrows and her lips quivered and her face paling-

Her eyes closed and she dropped to the side like a useless ragdoll. 'Clary!' Magnus yelled as he shook her. 'No!' His face was filled with fear now.

This was enough to make Tessa say something. 'What's wrong?' she asked as she blinked the tears from her face and_ remembered_. '_Oh no_.' She remembered Clary's sacrifice for bringing them back to life. Tessa felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. It left behind a heavy pain of guilt. First Jem, then Will now _Clary_. People were dropping like flies because of _her_.

'Tessa!' the girl jumped and just realised that Mangus had been calling for her for the past couple of seconds. He now held her arms tightly and looked her in the eye. He shook her when she didn't say anything. Her mind was too numb to _say_ anything. 'Please! Don't go mentally dead on me!' He shook her again and Tessa closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She opened them again and nodded.

'Alright. I'm fine.' She pushed back the tears, the shaking. She needed to control her emotions. She can't go now. She has to stay strong. It was the least she could do for these wonderful people. These people that cared for her. Her new family.

'Good,' Magnus sighed and straightened. He walked away from them, towards a wall, and placed his hand over it. He started whispering something and Tessa had to bite her lip to force down her question. It was pointless for Magnus answered her unspoken question anyway, 'I'm creating a portal to Idris. Tessa,' he turned his head to her slightly, 'darling, I need you to make sure Jem's on his side with his mouth open. I won't lie. His mouth is full of blood, it would choke him if you don't do as I say.' His words were like a spell for the girl instantly reached for Jem and placed him on his side. She opened his mouth and she could see the red liquid drip down the corner of his mouth to the floor. She pulled her hand away to see it smeared with his blood. 'Now, I want you to make sure they're both breathing. _At all times_.' Magnus placed great emphasis on the words and Tessa looked over at Clary. Her chest was rising and falling and so was Jem's. 'Clary must merely be unconscious. Jem...' he trailed off.

'What is it?' Tessa tried to not let her emotion leak into her voice. She failed. The hysteria was clearly there. She gulped it down and tried once more. 'What's happening?' _a bit better_.

There was a sudden flash of light and she looked up to see a swirling purple void. A maelstrom. A Portal. Magnus parted from the wall and- for a fleeting moment -he looked like he was about to stumble backwards and faint, but he merely held his gloved hand to his head as he turned back to her. He looked weary and miserable. 'Come on.' He said as he went over to Clary. At the same time, somebody stepped through the Portal. It was Alec.

The blue-eyed boy looked at them. 'Where's-'

'We don't have time for that.' Magnus cut him off and there was tension in his voice. He turned to face Alec and something sparked between them that terrified Tessa. With a sigh, Magnus turned away from him and held Clary's face as he looked at Jem. 'We can talk-'

There was a _SCREAM_.

If Magnus' commands were a spell, then it stood no chance against this divine intervention. The scream shook her bones and- before she knew it -she had stood up and was running out of the room. Magnus was yelling after her. Tessa put on an extra burst of speed as she hit the stairs and ran up it. The scream was driving her forward. She was running so fast that she tripped and hit her knee. She cried out but brought herself up and kept running. The boots she had were Shadowhunter boots- they were from Isabelle -so running in them was much too comfortable. Natural. Then there was the light dress that reached just past her knees. She had never felt so fast in her entire life.

Yet again, a life was at stake.

_A very important one_.

She didn't know what to do as she hit the fourth floor. She saw the pool of blood- she could feel someone seem to twist a knife at her heart at the sight of it -and looked up at the window of moonlight. The ceiling was high and beams crisscrossed it. There were a stack of boxes. It was dangerous.

But she'd do anything to save him.

Tessa ran to the stack of boxes. She gripped the edge of the boxes as she stepped on them. Finally, she was at the top of a stack and she looked up. A beam was right above her. She was tall. She was light. She could reach it.

She jumped.

Her fingers gripped the wooden beam and- for a second -she thought she was going to let go.

But she didn't.

She kicked her feet up and she swung herself. She gained enough momentum for her hand to easily grab onto the beam, then her arm wrapped around it. She pulled herself up, _painfully_, but she did. Then, she crouched on the beam and looked down.

It was a long drop.

She swallowed back the fear and straightened. She held out her arms at her side as her legs wobbled, her knees shaking. Then, she took a deep breath. The beam was wide enough for her to walk. The trapdoor wasn't far.

She placed one foot in front of the other, then she did it again with her other foot. A smile lit up her face as she started to walk faster and turned and made her way to the trap door. Her? Tessa Gray? Balancing on wooden beams to save William Herondale? What a tale. Tessa looked up and jumped for the trap door.

Her fingers gripped the edge and she swung herself again. She could smell something. She could smell... _evil_. Of decay and destruction and blood and burning. She pulled herself up and suppressed a gasp of horror at what she saw before her.

There, at the very centre of the rooftop, was a swirling black mass of demons. Claws. Fangs. Tails. Horns. Eyes. The sky overhead had turned to thunderclouds and lightning suddenly flashed. Tessa nearly lost her grip on the edge as she jumped in shock. The demons poured out from a hole in the rooftop. Standing beside it- with her back to Tessa -was Sabre Mortmain. She had her arms outstretched and above her head. She had her head thrown back, her black and gold hair whipping at the sudden gusts of wind that picked up. She was _laughing_. Cackling almost, like a witch.

Then, there were the bloody warriors.

Jace was lying motionless and Tessa couldn't help but feel another oncoming wave of guilt, especially at the resurfacing of the brief- yet passionate -moment he had with Clary before he left. His golden head was matted with blood and his arms and torso were smeared with blood. He had cuts where the Shadowhunter gear couldn't withstand the sharpness of the blade, especially a big slash across his torso. Tessa turned away from him-

She suppressed the need to scream.

He looked like a butterfly pinned to a board. He was fumbling with the blade that went straight through his shoulder to the rooftop. His fingers simply glided over the metal, there was no strength in them. His mouth was open, but it was blood that came out. His eyes were scrunched closed and his face... His beautiful face was twisted in pain. In... _determination_.

His mouth opened and he whispered something. Formed words. No. Formed _a_ word. A _name_.

Hers.

Tessa bit down on her lip and tasted her blood as well as the sharp metallic taste of anger. She turned her glare on Sabre Mortmain and pulled herself out of the trapdoor. As well as being comfortable, the boots gave her the advantage of being quiet. The gusts of wind whipped her hair across her face and made her dress ripple. Tessa saw something sharp and walked towards it, keeping her eye on the woman's back. She picked it up and she could feel warmth pulse through her. She had no idea what it was, but she didn't care. She had to end this. Too many people are dying. People she _loved_.

She took a step.

The woman kept laughing.

She took another step.

There was a glinting scimitar at her waist.

Another step. Only two more and she's close enough to kill her.

The woman dropped her arms.

Another step. One more.

She stopped laughing.

Tessa raised the blade-

Sabre Mortmain- within a fraction of a second -gripped her scimitar and whipped it around. The scimitar and the angel blade- Tessa just noticed -clashed and electricity cackled everywhere. 'So.' she raised her eyebrow as she pressed on the scimitar. Tessa gripped the angel blade with both hands as she tried not to stumble backwards. 'Mortmain has done it. A perfect hybrid of a demon and a Shadowhunter.' She looked at the angel blade and Tessa couldn't help but ask what she meant.

Mortmain laughed. 'You don't even know that your mother was a Shadowhunter?' Then, she took advantage of her shock and brought her foot up and kicked Tessa.

She flew backwards and landed painfully. She felt herself bruise at the impact and her grip on the seraph blade loosened. Stars sparkled at the back of her eyes and she gasped for air. She's never been in combat before and she definitely did not like it. Mortmain sauntered over to her and pointed the tip of her scimitar at Tessa's throat. The curved blade glinted in the light of the moon. 'I wish I could tell you everything, but my knowledge about my ancestor's experiments are shallow. I could, however, tell you that you were meant for something important. You were just too stubborn.' Her words were a faint echo and Tessa could see her raise the scimitar.

She closed her eyes for death.

* * *

The Institute was silent.

Isabelle looked outside, a beautiful frown on her pale face. She was asked to stay behind and watch over the Institute with Jessamine and Sophie. She held her electrum whip as she listened in to Jessamine's continuous gasps at her messy room. She has learned to completely drown out the noise, for a couple of seconds. After all, it was her decision to take them to her room, in case something happened. 'This is not a lady's room! Don't you agree Sophie?' the blonde nuisance turned to Sophie who looked at Isabelle.

She sighed. 'We are in the twenty-first century!' Isabelle turned to Jessamine who had her arms crossed in front of her. 'There's no such thing as etiquette anymore!' The girl parted from the wall and wrapped the electrum whip around her arms and her hand. 'If you have any complaints, can you state them _after_ the threat of world domination by some psychotic woman has been prevented?' She eyed Jessamine who only kept frowning at her. Isabelle did try very hard to keep down the irritation, but she couldn't help the tightening of the whip encircling her. 'Look-'

There was a flash of lightning and the girls jumped. 'What-' Sophie began but Isabelle cut her off with a finger to her mouth. Then, she strode across the room to her closet and picked out two daggers. She hoped in the very least that Jessamine can handle a dagger!

Isabelle reached them once more and thrust the blades at them. Sophie looked at the dagger with a disbelieving look while Jessamine dropped the blade. 'Get that thing away from me!' she shrieked as her face contorted with bitterness. 'I don't _want_ to be-'

'It's either _that_,' Isabelle pointed to the dagger, her voice poisonous, 'or death. You ch-'

Suddenly, the ruby necklace at her throat pulsed and Isabelle held it as she turned to the door. 'Don't worry.' She said as she heard Sophie whimper behind her. 'They can't enter the Institute. It's on-'

There was a sharp shattering of glass and Isabelle whirled around, her whip following her movement. She threw her arm forward and the whip lashed at the demon that was hovering just outside the Institute. _Damn it_. Isabelle thought as she realised that they can still attack as long as they're not touching the ground.

The demon cried a piercing cry. It was horrible looking. Slimy with multiple eyes and razor sharp teeth. It had bat wings that also had eyes on it. Jessamine scrambled away from the window- screaming -and Isabelle darted forward and lashed at the demon once more. It ducked the electrum whip, but the tip managed to snag a few of its eyes, causing it to spray blood. Isabelle flicked her wrist and her whip landed at her feet. 'You disgusting, _vile_ creature!' Jessamine yelled beside her.

The demon howled at Jessamine and Isabelle could hear her shouting back at the creature. She wondered if Jessamine knew _that_ was unladylike.

Then, the demon threw its head back and _spat_. Isabelle rolled away while Sophie and Jessamine ran away and ducked for cover behind her bed. Meanwhile, the demon's saliva _melted_ through her floor. Isabelle looked at the other two and- after realising that they were as safe as they can be -darted forward and flicked her whip towards the demon. The cracking sound her whip made as it lashed out matched the cackling of lightning outside. She pulled her arm back and aimed for the demon's eyes. It snagged a couple and sprayed blood. Some of the blood sprayed on her and she could feel the blood start to burn her skin. The demon laughed- if it could even pass as a laugh -as she looked down at the burns.

Isabelle raised her head and smiled at the demon. 'You're going to pay for that.' She lashed out again and, this time, the demon caught the whip with its forked tongue. Then, it pulled her forward and Isabelle got thrown off her feet and was flying through the air to the demon's mouth.

At the very last moment, she straightened and jumped mid-air. She kicked at the demon's eyes and it shrieked. Then, she landed on its head and pulled back the whip. Isabelle started whipping at the demon's bat wings. Then, it started swaying side to side and she nearly fell off the slimy surface.

There was a sound of something cutting the air and the demon suddenly screamed. Isabelle looked up to find Jessamine with her arm outstretched and a dagger had pierced the demon's snout. Isabelle smiled at Jessamine who took the other dagger, her face twisted in hatred. 'And this is for _spitting at me_!' she threw it and it hit the demon's snout once more.

'Thanks!' Isabelle grinned as Jessamine darted back behind the bed. The girl turned back and raised her arm. She flicked her wrist and the electrum whip wrapped around the demon's wings. The demon howled as she pulled on the whip and it _sliced_ through the wing. The demon cried out, faltered and started falling.

Then, Isabelle faced the window. She could see a broken ledge and she lashed her whip at it. It wrapped around the ledge and Isabelle jumped off the falling demon. She swung forward and landed inside her room as the demon shrieked and fell.

There was a loud _THUD!_ and she straightened and flicked her hair behind her. Jessamine and Sophie were staring in amazement. She grinned a proud grin at them. 'That-'

There were screams.

Isabelle turned around and gasped at what was happening outside.

Demons chased the mundanes around and around New York City.

* * *

Charlotte looked up at the night sky as she held _Jahoel_. It was starless and a silver disc hung among dark clouds. Behind her, Henry was mumbling at the Sensor. He absolutely couldn't believe that something he invented became of absolute importance! She sighed as she shook her head. They were at Central Park, waiting for midnight. Waiting for something from Will. Waiting for Mortmain to release the demons. In front of her, Robert and Maryse stared at the horizon. There was tension between them and Charlotte couldn't help but notice it.

With an internal sigh, she turned away to give them privacy and looked around her. There were homeless people sitting on the benches in Central Park. She wished she could wake them up and tell them that demons are about to come out and kill them, but she couldn't. In fact, they didn't know what to do. They just all marched from Idris and went to their assigned places. They waited to be slaughtered. There was something wrong with it. Almost as if they'd given up already.

Have they?

She looked at the sky once more and noticed the blossoming of thunderclouds. There was a sudden flash of lightning and cold gusts of wind suddenly blew her way. Henry stopped mumbling beside her at the same time she saw the mundanes stir and Maryse and Robert tighten their grip on their seraph blades. The trees shook, dead leaves and rubbish skittering everywhere.

Suddenly, a cloud of black spun out of a building in the horizon. She was so far from it, yet she could smell the stench of the demons. The gate to hell has been opened and Charlotte's jaw dropped. She's releasing _all of them_.

The demons spun away from the black cloud and darted here and there. She could hear them laugh silently. Then, one headed their way.

She whispered on the angel blade and as it blazed, she stepped back and raised the blade above her head. Then, she suddenly realised that she's just answered her question.

They were still fighting, weren't they?

So, no. They haven't given up.

* * *

She looked up as heavy black clouds pressed down on Madrid. Jocelyn hugged herself as her flaming red hair whipped her face. The _Puerta de Alcalá _stood beside her, its warm glow brushing her skin. Jocelyn gripped the seraph blade that was hidden in her arms. 'Jocelyn?' Luke whispered as his fingers glided over her skin. She smiled at his touch and turned to him. He wore a black jacket over denim pants and a flannel shirt. His heavy black boots were battered. 'Are you alright?'

Her daughter's face flashed before her eyes and she mumbled Clary's name. 'She'll be fine. I'm sure of it.' Luke reassured her but she shook her head as she bit down on her lip.

'Something...' she trailed off. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. 'There's something wrong. Luke, I-'

There was a flash of lightning and she jumped. Then, a black swirling cloud appeared in the horizon and Jocelyn had to swallow back her nausea.

Demons.

Beside her, Luke tensed.

* * *

Jia Penhallow had to leave her house in Alicante to stand watch at the Forbidden City. There were throwing stars hidden underneath her dress and daggers strapped to her thigh sheaths. Her husband stood beside her and they both looked up. Thunderclouds rolled in and she sighed solemnly. At least she knew her daughter was safe in Alicante.

Her hand tightened around _Nakir_.

* * *

The man sipped his coffee as the leaves danced and swirled around him. As always, London was busy and gloomy but nothing like these ominous gray clouds. He looked up, pushing back his hat as he placed his coffee back on its saucer. The waitress suddenly appeared beside him. 'Ta.' He smiled at her as he gave her a tip before getting off the chair and sauntering out of the coffee shop. He walked in between two buildings as the clouds gathered and swirled. Then, he saw black figures.

He reached inside his overcoat and whispered _Malik_.

* * *

He looked up. All the residents had come out of their huts and started gasping at the unnatural. Thunderclouds? In South Africa? During the middle of summer? Smiles appeared at the faces of children and he swallowed back the guilt as he knew- he _knew_ -what the thunderclouds meant. It wasn't rain for the dying crops. Rather, it was a hungry horde of demons.

His wife appeared beside him. Her smooth, coffee black skin was adorned with licking black runes. They both stood with their arms behind them, gripping their swords.

He hung his head as he heard screams.

* * *

She waited.

There was a shrieking sound as the scimitar sliced the air. She scrunched her eyes closed. Waiting for the pain then the peace. The darkness.

But it never came.

'No...' she heard Mortmain whisper and Tessa opened her eyes and gasped.

There, right there at her heart, was another scimitar. Its blade was bloodied and stuck out of her. Mortmain dropped the scimitar in her hand. Her bi-coloured eyes were wide and she noticed the black of her other eye start to disappear. The same thing happened to her hair. All that was left was the warm honey gold. It made her look less like the person that killed them. She looked more like a... _human being_. Her mouth was open and blood filled it. It dripped down her chin and onto Tessa's already bloodied dress. 'No...' Her eyes closed and tears fell from it and mixed with her blood. Then, she _smiled_- a smile of acceptance -and dropped to her knees, revealing the person behind her. The person that stabbed her.

Will.

He looked at Tessa and she looked at him. His eyes- those beautiful midnight blue colour -made her want to cry to see him alive. Tessa straightened and stood next to him. She had the urge to touch him, but then she noticed that the Shadowhunter gear was slashed at his back, the cloth ripped and revealing a long jagged scar among his marked skin. She swallowed down her nausea as she heard Mortmain- who had fallen on her side and curled up like a child -start speaking. 'You don't understand,' she whispered as shouts appeared behind them. They were familiar. Magnus? 'All I wanted was to do the right thing. Besides,' she cut off as she choked on her blood, 'I-I t-thought that fear unites us all together. M-makes us stronger. Fear of wars forms alliances. Fear of losing somebody makes us do our best to save them. Fear, it's what makes us _human_.' She looked up at them with warm yellow eyes and Tessa- all of a sudden -felt pity for her.

But Will obviously didn't. 'But you forget love.' He whispered it, so softly.

Mortmain laughed and she sighed. '_Love_...' she choked on the blood. 'I did _forget_...' she trailed off.

Her eyes closed.

She didn't move.

Behind her, somebody started chanting and Tessa turned to see Magnus, blue sparks surrounding him. The gates of hell were closing up. The swirling black was reducing and was being sucked back into whichever demonic dimension they came from. With a final chant, it shut and the black disappeared. Magnus staggered backward, but managed to catch himself before he tripped over. Then, he seemed to _laugh_ in disbelief. Laugh in _joy_. A little ways away, Tessa noticed, was Alec. He was hovering over Jace with a stele in hand, but he had turned to look at Magnus. His face was curious.

'_Tess_?' a boy breathed beside her and Tessa could feel her heart lift. She turned to him-

He fell on her. Tessa caught him but he was too heavy for her to carry. Together, they fell to the rooftop floor and Tessa had to hold him carefully. She had his head on her lap and he was staring at her. '_Tess_...'

'Will,' she opened her mouth to say something, _something really important_, but it got stuck there when she noticed her dress soak up his blood much too quickly. Tessa gasped in horror as she saw the gaping hole in his shoulder. He was losing a lot of blood. 'Magnus!' she cried out as she noticed his eyes start to droop and lose its spark. Its life. Its shine. 'Oh _please_, no!' she cried as she took the skirts of her dress and attempted to stop the bleeding. Somewhere, she heard angels sing. Her heart sped up as she shielded Will from them. _You're not taking him!_ '_MAGNUS!_' she shouted as something fell on her head. She looked up to see rain, falling like tears.

'_I'm sorry_,' he whispered and she looked down at closed eyes.

'_WILL!_'


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I am so sorry that this took long! Usually, I update in a day every day. But this one was hard! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: No. I am not Cassandra Clare. Some credit also goes to the movie _Election_ (1999) and Tom Perrotta who wrote the very novel. I am crediting them because I mention something here inspired by the movie.**

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-Six-

_Three days later..._

Clary opened her eyes to see the warm, fuzzy light stream in from her window at the Institute. She shook her head as she sat up. She was feeling groggy, but otherwise alright. She looked down and saw herself in her nightclothes. _How did I get here?_ she asked as she looked around and tried to remember what had happened. She let out a gasp as she remembered the painful headache that overtook her on that night. She had fainted when Magnus arrived.

_But_, Clary thought as she looked out the window. It looked like any other ordinary day. _What happened?_ she asked herself, then remembered a pair of golden eyes in the back of her mind. _Jace_.

'Jace?' she asked as she made to get up, but someone pushed her back down. She looked up in surprise and saw a golden boy, his face covered in bruises and cuts.

'Hey,' he smiled at her, his luminous eyes sparkling. 'You should be resting.'

She looked at him with wide green eyes. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and they fell on the bed. She cried in happiness as he kissed her on the cheek. He was safe. He was alive. They were both alive. 'Jace! Oh, JACE!' She buried her face in his chest and she could smell Jace and soap and blood and safety and _joy_. '_Jace_...'

'Yes, Clary?' There was a joyous tone in his voice too and she couldn't help but detect it. He wrapped his arms around her as he pressed his face to her hair. There was a golden silence, which he broke. 'You know,' he whispered, 'it's gone.'

'What's gone?'

'Everything,' He pulled back to look at her. 'Magnus found your cure. W-when you fainted, he took you straight to Idris and cured you. We've been asleep for _three_ days. Then, when I woke up this morning, he told me. ' He smiled at her and he couldn't seem to help himself. He put his warm, callused fingers under her chin and lifted her face to his. They kissed and, as always, the world melted away and there was only her and Jace. Her heart lifted in joy and she smiled. He laughed as he pulled away and pushed her hair back from her face. He didn't say anything, but his eyes spoke for him. She looked at him and noticed a cut just above his perfect eyebrow. She fingered it and she could see the tightening of his eyes.

'Are you hurt?' she asked and he shook his head. 'But-'

'My injuries are minimal,' he whispered then his eyes darkened. 'At least, compared to Will's.'

'Will? Why? What happened?' Clary asked. She knew exactly how important Will was to Jace. He was a link to his past. To understanding his family.

Jace opened his mouth to speak, but somebody knocked on the door. They turned towards it and it opened, revealing Magnus on the other side.

He looked tired. The glitter in his hair was still missing. Clary suddenly wondered what the world would be like if Magnus didn't have glittery hair. 'Hmmm...' he pulled a teasing face. 'I was planning to check on Clary, but it seems as if Jace has already taken care of that.' He waved a dismissive hand as Clary blushed. Jace chuckled as he pulled her closer. 'I'll be going then, but if you feel sick, then go immediately to _me_.' He emphasised on the 'me' part and Clary smiled.

He closed the door and let them resume to their passionate moments.

* * *

Magnus padded down the hallway. He raked his hair back as he made his way towards the infirmary. The warlock sighed as he ran over everything that happened in the past three days.

Mortmain was defeated and Magnus closed the gate. It was painful, but he did it. However, the demons that already escaped, continued to wander around cities in the world. Fortunately, the remainder of them were defeated by the Shadowhunters. Then, all the warlocks were called together to cast a spell over mundanes to forget what happened. That nearly took out all his energy. The entire process took an _hour_!

Then, on the way back to the Institute, he saw a blue-skinned demon that managed to escape slaughtering. Upon seeing it, his memory sharpened and he remembered Will's descriptions. Magnus has chased after the demon and, just before killing it, managed to get a tooth. The tooth was now in his pocket.

Magnus sighed heavily and closed his eyes as he turned the corner. He was tired. Perhaps he should go on a holiday... but he doesn't want to go alone...

'Magnus?' the warlock opened his eyes and he whirled around to see Alec. He was leaning on the wall, his black hair over his beautiful blue eyes that looked at him. Magnus felt a pang of longing. 'C-can we talk?'

There was a painful twisting in his heart. _This is it_, he thought sadly. There was no way they were going to get back together. Not after everything and all the arguments... Magnus nodded. 'S-sure.' Alec parted from the wall and stood in front of him. Magnus wanted to reach out and pull his hair back from his face. To do that one last time before they break up. 'What is it?' he asked as he swallowed back his longing.

Alec looked up at him with wide blue eyes, then sighed. 'I wanted to say sorry,' he hung his head and the knife stabbed deeper into Magnus. He took a deep breath in to steady himself. He can _do_ this. 'I've been... well, let's just say I haven't been fair. I jumped to conclusions. I should've known that nothing happened between you and Will-'

Magnus staggered backward. 'W-what?' he spluttered then shook his head. 'I-I... Are we talking about breaking up or not?' He asked and Alec's eyes went wider.

'B-break up?' he nearly choked as he looked at his foot. 'I-I didn't know that's what you wanted, well it would seem fair-'

'ALEXANDER!' Magnus put his hands on Alec's shoulders and shook him, hard. Alec had to blink repeatedly after Magnus shook him. 'I don't want to break up with you!'

'Me neither,' Alec mumbled and his eyebrows creased. 'I was only talking about how unfair I've been and that I'm sorry,' he looked at Magnus with a confused expression. 'What did you think I wanted to talk to you for?' There was incredulity leaking into his tone.

Magnus couldn't help but blush in shame. 'I thought you were about to dump me...' he trailed off.

Alec looked at him... then laughed. 'What?' he gasped. 'I came to apologise! Magnus-'

'So we're _not_ breaking up?' Magnus eyes sparkled and he was ginning. Alec nodded. Magnus grabbed him around the waist and picked him up and swung him around. Alec demanded of him to put him down and Magnus did and ducked in for a quick kiss. He pulled back laughing as he placed his hand on Alec's shoulder. 'Oh you're so funny!' Alec stared at him, disbelief in his face.

'But I am sorry,' he said as he looked up at him. Magnus waved his apologies away.

'No need for apologies, Alec, darling. I understand.' Magnus grinned at him and saw a door open in his line of sight. He looked up to see Jessamine Lovelace. Her mouth was in a pink O and Magnus couldn't help but laugh at her expression. Alec turned around and hung his head at her expression. 'Dear Jessie-'

'Stay away from me!' She screamed before disappearing back into her room.

Magnus laughed harder.

* * *

Isabelle stared outside her bedroom window. Everything was getting better by the second, except for a certain occupant in the infirmary and the hole in her room. 'Grrr.' She said to herself as she glanced at it. It made her more than happy to kill that stupid demon. Isabelle looked down at where it died and her eyes caught sight of a toy Shadowhunter.

She picked it up and she could feel tears fill her eyes. 'Max...' she bit down on her perfect lip as she closed her eyes and her tears fell. 'I'm sorry...'

There was a knock on her door. Isabelle looked around and saw her mother at the doorway. She hastily wiped away her tears as her mother crossed the room towards her, avoiding the hole on the way. 'Is everything alright Isabelle?' she asked her daughter as Isabelle looked out the window.

Isabelle nodded vigorously. She didn't say anything, for fear that her mother would notice. But, she already has. Maryse looked down at the toy Shadowhunter on her hand and wrapped her hands around her daughter's. Isabelle cried and leaned into her mother. 'It's alright...' she stroked her hair. 'I know Isabelle, but I'm not going to let you do what Clary did. I can't let you sacrifice something like that.'

'But-'

'No,' Maryse sighed as she looked down at her. 'I miss him too. We loved him. We all did. You're not alone in your sorrows. But sometimes,' she rubbed circles into Isabelle's hand with her thumb, 'you just have to let go. I'm sure Max is happy, wherever he is.' Isabelle looked at her mother to see her smiling. It was rare that she ever saw her mother smile, but when she did, she felt more than happy. She felt safe.

Together, they both stared outside as they held the toy.

* * *

Charlotte sighed as she leaned back on the couch. Her arms were bruised after being thrown by a demon. It was about to kill her when Henry managed to stab it just in time. After that, the thunderclouds disappeared and rain fell. After that, the demons stopped pouring out. A few moments later, Maryse and Robert had received a message from Magnus that the gate was closed and that Mortmain was dead.

_Dead_, Charlotte sighed in relief. At least that part was over, but there were still things that were going bad...

There was a knock on the door and she looked up to see Henry. He smiled at her and she tried her best to give back a smile. She loved Henry, even though she knew she'd always be second to him.

Sometimes, you just can't have everything. 'Charlotte, darling,' he grinned as he made his way towards her. Then he sat next to her and held her hands. 'Are you alright? You look terrible.'

'Of course I'm not fine Henry,' she tried to keep down the disbelief in her voice. Henry was always so... optimistic. 'Will... I don't know what to do. He's just lying there. He's barely _moving_.' Charlotte had to admit it. She loved Will, no matter how cruel he could be. She loved him the very moment she saw his desperate face all those years ago. He had looked so weak then, but he grew. He became strong. There was something broken in him, and she wished to fix it but he just won't let anyone near. That is, aside from Jem and Tessa.

'Well,' Henry whispered as he looked down, 'look at it this way. He's one of the most stubborn human beings I have ever met. I'm sure even in death, he'd be stubborn. I'm sure he'll live.' Henry squeezed her hands reassuringly. His were so big compared to hers.

Charlotte pulled up a smile as she looked Henry in the eye. They sparkled, as always, and she couldn't help but wish he loved her with his entire heart. 'Thanks dear,' she grinned. Henry grinned back, the smile reaching his eyes and Charlotte noticed him almost _say_ something. Communicate something with his eyes.

She tried to ignore the sudden lightness of her heart, but she couldn't. For a moment, she understood _exactly_ what he was trying to tell her. And if that wasn't enough, he spoke. 'Anything for you my love,' Henry patted her hand and she couldn't help but blush.

* * *

Jem opened his eyes. Tessa still had her face buried on the bed, her hair falling around her. Her hands were clenched, gripping the bed sheets. She was kneeling next to the bed and he was kneeling on the other side. Jem moved slightly, his left shoulder stinging, but very slightly. He was lucky. He thought he would've died that night, but he was wrong. He had been asleep for three days, but he was fine. He was healing very well. He was far better off compared to Will.

The boy looked at his _parabatai_, his brother. Bandages wound around his temple, his arms, his shoulders, across his torso. There must be also some around his legs. His chest rose and fell very slightly. He was _too_ still. _This isn't you Will_, Jem thought, trying to communicate to his brother. _You're a better fighter than this_. Jem bowed his head. _Come on Will, fight. If not for me, for Tessa_.

There was a sudden, slight pain in his chest and Jem pushed it down. He knew it. He could tell that it wouldn't be him, but he didn't mind that. _It is a great thing to love, as it is to be loved_. He smiled to himself. He would always love Tessa Gray, love her blue-gray eyes and her smiles. He would happily step back and give her to the man she loved the most. If it meant her happiness, it was alright with him. He respected her decision because he loved her. If he didn't accept it, then that means he didn't love her at all. That he was selfish and he only thought about himself. He couldn't bear to be like that. Moreover, he didn't want this to come between him and Will. To break their brotherly bond.

'Jem?' he looked up at her voice and seeing at her face made him want to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be fine. She looked so _miserable_. It was clear she didn't sleep. There were shadows under her eyes which looked sore from crying. 'I _am_ sorry.' She must've seen the expression on his face while he was thinking about the two of them. 'About everything,' her voice sounded sore too.

Jem shook his head and smiled at her. It didn't hurt, surprisingly. 'Tessa,' he spoke slowly, 'you have nothing to apologise for-'

'But you're hurt,' Tessa cut him off. 'And... I _left_ you,' she looked down in shame. 'I-I'm _so_ sorry.' Her body shook as her voice cracked.

The silver-haired boy reached across the bed and held her hand. He could feel his heart race at their touch. Tessa refused to look at him. 'And I'm happy you did. If I was in your place, I'd do the same thing, especially with what was happening,' He smiled as he squeezed her hand. 'Besides, I was already safe. Magnus was there.'

'I'm still sorry,' she looked up at him and Jem shook his head as he laughed silently.

'Isn't there anything that I can say to make you stop apologising?' He smiled at her and, for a moment, her face lit up, her eyes glinted. 'How about, "Tessa, I forgive you"?' She grinned as she ducked her head. He whispered, 'Everything's going to be alright, Tessa,' she nodded as she glanced at him.

Then, somebody stirred at the corner of their eyes.

* * *

He looked around him.

It was so... _white_. Will had to cover his eyes at the whiteness of it all. There was a white tree and under it was a white bench. There was a woman with black hair sitting on the bench. She was wearing a white dress, her feet were barefoot and was swinging backwards and forwards, barely touching the white grass beneath her. She looked... familiar.

He looked down at himself. He was wearing a white shirt and white trousers. He, too, was barefoot. The grass tickled his feet and he relished in the softness. The peacefulness. It was so peaceful, wherever he was. 'Will...' he raised his head at the familiar voice. He'd recognise that voice anywhere. He turned towards the woman on the bench. She smiled at him, her blue eyes, so much like his, glinting.

'Ella,' he breathed as he ran towards his sister. He slowed to a stop in front of her and was about to hug her when she told him to stay where he was and to not go near her. He felt a pang of hurt- did she hate him? Of course. It was his fault she died. 'I-I'm sorry,' Will whispered as he remembered what had happened all those years ago with a cold shock. The stupid box. Her being the first person to _die_ because she _loved_ him. Will took a few steps away from his sister who had stood up. 'I-I should go.'

'You should,' Ella spoke and Will tried not to show his pain. 'Yes, you should because a very pretty girl is waiting for you back in the land of the living,' Will raised his head and a confused expression surely must've crossed his face or else Ella wouldn't be laughing. 'It is good to see you Will,' she cocked her head to the side, 'but you looked so... _choked_ up.'

Will let out a humourless laugh. 'I suppose it's because of what Marbas told you,' Ella spoke bitterly as she looked to the side. Then, she gave Will a meaningful look who was merely confused. 'That demon. The demon that claims to have cursed you.'

Her words registered a hot jabbing to his chest and Will's fists clenched at his sides. 'So that is his name,' he whispered fiercely. 'For five years... He put me through misery for_ five_ years...' Will raised his head to look at his sister. 'I am sorry for what happened, Ella. I-I was stupid-'

'Yes you were,' Ella had crossed her arms in front of her. Her eyes sparkled and a smile was playing at her lips, as if there were a joke she just said that he didn't get. He looked at her with confusion and she gave him another meaningful look. There was silence as he tried to understand.

Finally, she threw her arms in the air in exasperation. 'Honestly! Are you seriously that _daft_? Marbas. Claim. Curse. I will give you another hint,' she held a finger in the air. 'Not true!' She half-shouted. Will continued to look at her with confusion. His older sister sighed and placed her hands on her hips. 'While I was here, I found out that demons are weak once they escape a Pyxis since they haven't fed for such a long time. Then, I found out that Marbas- the demon -killed me not through a curse, but because he poisoned me with his stupid, poison-tipped tail!' Ella jumped. The sparkle in her eyes had turned into a bright glow. 'Will! You don't have a bloody curse! Yes! Now it sinks in.'

The blue-eyed boy looked at her in disbelief. He felt his legs go out under him as his lungs struggled to get air. 'H-how did you know this?' He asked Ella without looking at her. Realisation was catching up with him as well as a light feeling. A feeling of... _relief_.

'There are a lot of things you find out here in Heaven,' Ella whispered as she sat back on her heels to look at her brother.

'H-Heaven?' Will shook his head as he clutched his head with his hand. 'I-I'm in- I'm _dead_?' He spluttered as he finally looked at Ella. His older sister- his brave, wonderful and kind sister -was shaking her head.

'Technically, no,' she stopped shaking her head. 'You still have a choice. You can stay here with me and Mom and Dad and Cecily, or you can go back to living which is what I hope because, aw!' She squeezed her eyes as she grinned teasingly at Will. 'My brother- my _stubborn_ brother -has fallen in _love_!' Will's mouth dropped open. 'It's so adorable. Mom and Dad approves of her. As always, Cecily looks at their appearance, but trust me she likes her too. Will?'

His mouth was wide open. 'You've been watching me? From up here?' There was a tone of disbelief in his voice, as well as an embarrassed one. He noticed that he just flushed right before his sister.

Ella nodded. 'Well, when you came back to life because, you know.' She shrugged then her eyebrows creased. 'Although, I have to admit, we did not see you here when you died at the carriage incident. That was odd but perhaps it is because you were to be raised to life anyways. So, yes, we have been watching over you for the past few days. Except for me who have been watching over you since you were twelve. Oh,' she pointed at him, 'look at that! You're blushing.'

Will turned away from Ella. _Oh, by the Angel_, he thought.

'Nevertheless,' Ella straightened, 'I suggest you drag yourself out of here and go back to Miss Gray. You can live happily now, Will! Why the long face?' She looked down at him.

'It's just that,' Will looked at his hands. 'I _wasted_ my life for the past _five_ years, pushing everyone away. But for _what_? I hurt myself and others for the past-'

'The past doesn't matter,' something in his sister's tone made him look up. It was... _annoyed_. 'All that matters is _now_,' she looked down at him and smiled. 'I'll give you a hug, but I cannot. If I hug you, then it is like a signal saying that you want to be with your family so you do not want to go back.' She turned and started to walk away. Will got up as his sister started to glow brighter.

'Ella,' he whispered as he looked down. She was so sure... but he _knew_ it wasn't meant to be. _She_ had already chosen. His sister had turned back. 'I might as well stay here,' he heard Ella gasp and he looked up to see the glow disappear. 'I mean-'

'WILLIAM HERONDALE!' She screamed. 'How _dare_ you give up so easily? That's not the Herondale way!' She strode back towards Will and looked him in the eyes. There were times when his sister absolutely terrified him- she was one of the few people in the world that can do that- and this was one of those times. 'Besides, didn't you know? Oh my,' she put a slender hand over her mouth, 'you _do not_ know?'

'Know what?' Will asked. Ella shook her head.

'I cannot tell you,' she smiled. She mumbled something, that which he cannot hear. He was about to ask what it was, but she spoke up once more. 'All I can tell you is that you are wrong. She has not chosen yet,' she grinned and she turned away and walked off, glowing brightly. Will tried not to let her words fill him with hope, but it was pointless. It filled him like a raging fire. An hope that cannot be quenched. A hope that made him happy, _giddy_ almost. A hope that made him smile.

He called out to her. '_Diolch yn fawr_!' Ella stopped and grinned at him.

'I see you haven't forgotten your Welsh.' Will shook his head. Ella glowed and Will had to cover his eyes as the light emanating from her stabbed his eyes. Then, it dulled and Will could see fireflies covering his sister. Suddenly, the fireflies dispersed, darting here and there. Ella was gone.

Will closed his eyes...

...and opened them to see paintings of cherubs. He squeezed his eyes shut as he turned his head. He felt slightly sore, but fine. 'Magnus!' He heard a familiar voice shout. Jem.

Will smiled as he heard the warlock enter the room then fuss around him. 'Go away Magnus...' he mumbled. He felt somebody prod his shoulder and he recoiled in pain. 'OW!' his eyes flew open. Magnus was looking at him with an amused grin. 'That hurt...'

'Oh did it?' He stepped back. Will shook his head in disbelief then looked around him.

'I knew you wouldn't give up so easily,' his _parabatai_ smiled at him. Jem had his arms crossed in front of him. The arrow was gone and he looked much healthier. All he had were small cuts and bruises. 'It's good to have you back _xiōngdì._' Will gave him a grin and he turned away from Jem's silver eyes to gaze at a set of blue-gray ones.

She looked _terrible_. It seemed as if she hadn't slept and that all she had done was cry. Will felt self-loathing and the hope he had regain start to die down, like a cold splash of water to a blazing fire. _She's always crying because of_-

'Will,' there was something in the way she said it. Something that brought back the fire. Something that made him want to tell her that he was sorry and that he was wrong and that he loved her and now he can love her with all his heart and his being if she wanted it. That he was not afraid now. She smiled at him- a smile that spoke of utter joy and relief -and he smiled back. A true smile. One that he hadn't used in years.

'_Tess_,' he breathed.

* * *

'Oh!' Charlotte had risen from the sofa and Tessa watched as the small woman nearly broke into tears at the sight of Will. Jem and Magnus supported him on both sides. Magnus had insisted that he stay in the infirmary, but Will was relentless. He had argued that if he didn't use his legs, then perhaps he may grow to not needing them and that maybe he cannot walk around anymore. Now, Will was trying to put one foot in front of the other. It looked hard for him, his face would crease, but he would continue. Tessa still felt the guilt at seeing his injuries. After all, it was her fault. She cannot imagine if he would still love her after everything she had caused him.

_But_, she thought as they neared Charlotte and Henry, _the way he said my name. The way he _looked _at me_, Tessa could remember the way his eyes lit up in the infirmary when he saw her. There was something in him- something _new_ -that brightened the world around him. The morning light had shone on him and she couldn't help but wonder what he had dreamed. Then there was this new smile. An actual _smile_.

'Will!' Charlotte cried out as Henry stood up. 'Are you alright?' Charlotte asked then shook her head, realising her question was somewhat unnecessary. She seemed to brace herself for a sarcastic remark.

'I'm fine, except for the fact that I feel like a mummy,' Will mumbled. Tessa nearly gasped behind him. There were no sarcasm in his voice. He just said it. He also sounded as if he was trying to be _funny_. Everyone else in the room seemed to notice. Charlotte blinked. Henry's jaw dropped open. Magnus raised an eyebrow. Jem looked at his _parabatai_ with creased eyebrows. 'Why is everyone looking at me?' He asked in pure curiosity.

Magnus cleared his throat. 'I think your little exercise is over William. It's time you stop or I might as well be forced to drop you.' Will laughed- he _laughed_ -in a way unlike she had ever heard before. It was that type of light-hearted laugh. She decided that it suited him. Moreover, it made her heart lift and smile.

Magnus and Jem helped Will sit on the couch across Charlotte and Henry. Magnus inspected Will once more, then left the room claiming that he needed to get something done. Jem told Tessa to sit down and she did so next to Will. Sitting next to him sent a spark up her spine and she remembered- once again -the way he spoke her name back at the infirmary. She took her chances and looked at him.

He was looking back at her, the beautiful blue depths of his eyes pulling her in.

Tessa glanced away as she felt the blush rise in her cheeks. 'Well, it seems like everyone is fine after all.' Henry said as he sat back down with Charlotte on the couch. Jem stood behind the couch she and Will were sitting on. 'This is good.' Henry grinned and Tessa couldn't help but grin along with him. Everything was better now. Much better. All that she needed to do was tell _him_.

'So what happened during the three days we were asleep?' Jem asked Charlotte and Henry. Meanwhile, Will looked at Jem in surprise.

'Three days?' Will looked back at Charlotte and Henry. 'Three days? I've been asleep for three days?'

Charlotte nodded. 'Basically, what happened is we had to kill the rest of the demons that managed to get out of the Portal. After that, Magnus and other warlocks all over the world had to erase memories of mundanes that saw what happened. The next two days after that was cleaning up the marks that Mortmain made. This involved getting rid of the altered runes.'

'Did you ever find out what they were for?' Jem asked and Tessa suddenly remembered what she did two days ago. It was painful for her, but she still did it. It had been a good diversion from watching Jem and Will sleep in the infirmary, worrying if they were going to _ever_ wake up.

Charlotte looked at her and Tessa cleared her throat. 'I Changed into Mortmain, trying to find out why she did what she did,' Will and Jem had turned to look at her, curiosity and surprise mixed into their expressions. 'I found out that she wanted to reveal the Shadow World to mundanes, partly because she wanted them to know about our world and to start depending on Shadowhunters. To worship them. However,' she took a deep breath before continuing, 'she also wanted to take revenge on Shadowhunters. To avenge Mortmain, her ancestor. Because Shadowhunters killed his parents. She doesn't exactly know the full story, but she felt for Mortmain instantly.

'So she decided to _kill_ us so that Mortmain could live. Apparently, we were going to kill him. Then, she realised that Mortmain chose the wrong timing to exact his revenge. So Sabre decided to kill Mortmain before he could wreck havoc but after he managed to, well, impregnate a Shadowhunter woman, like it would if she didn't interfere. This woman didn't know she was a Shadowhunter. She also made sure that Mortmain's journals and inventions were passed down the family. This is because that was how she found out about Mortmain in the first place. Family items. She found them in a basement. It was only a couple of weeks ago.' Tessa finished and she sighed.

Everything Mortmain knew was hard for her to remember and it hurt her head having to understand the things she did. Another thing she understood even if it wasn't necessary was the reason for them having bi-coloured eyes and hair was because they have consumed demon energy. That demon energy were also in their weapons. Tessa remembered the pain that racked through Mortmain as she mixed her angelic blood with demonic energy. It was _excruciating_.

But perhaps the most important thing she found out- aside from the very reason why they were killed -was the one that she actually didn't know a lot about. Tessa found out that her mother was a Shadowhunter and that she was meant for something. In a way, she was happy for _finally_ knowing something about herself. About knowing that her parents _are_ her parents. That she was from a human being.

'So,' Will looked at Tessa in disbelief and the girl snapped out of her reverie, 'she only found out about her ancestor a couple of weeks ago and immediately decided to betray Nephilim?' He raised his eyebrows in shock. 'That's quite foolish.

'She thought it was the right thing,' Tessa shrugged as she turned away from him. 'Besides, do you not remember? She told us that she also thought fear was going to unite people.'

'That makes her even more silly,' Will frowned as he remembered what happened on the rooftop.

'But how did she find out she was a Shadowhunter in the first place, if the woman Mortmain impregnated had no awareness?' Jem asked behind her.

'She found out when she was fourteen. She saw a bunch of demons and managed to kill them. Then, a Shadowhunter found her. She learned how to become a Nephilim after that. She was a good Shadowhunter. She fought even during one of the more recent battles in Borcelind Plain. I think that was it. Borcelind Plain. Then she found those family items. Among them were plans for a time-traveller. She perfected it.' Tessa looked at Henry who was now grinning.

'We raided Mortmain's hideout and saw her time-travelling machine there. Well,' Henry shrugged, 'it's not actually a machine. It was like Portal, but she uses this device to extend its powers, allowing it to not just let her travel between places, but also time.'

'Which brings us to our most important subject,' Charlotte had her hands folded in front of her. There was something in her voice that made Tessa fidget. 'I've already told Jessamine and Sophie about this and they have agreed instantly. Henry agrees with me as well,' she turned to the three of them. 'I haven't told the three of you yet because, obviously, I couldn't tell Will and Jem and I didn't want to bother you Tessa,' Charlotte smiled at her and Tessa returned it with a smile. 'But what we're planning is that, after Henry fixes the device, he'll take the family items from Mortmain's past which basically undos everything that happened in the past couple of days. This is because, as Henry explained to me, Mortmain would have never found out about her ancestor. This will also undo our death and the havoc that just occurred. It also means that we'll disappear. By that I mean that everything we have done here, in this time and place, wouldn't happen. In fact, it never should have. We will cease to exist here,' Charlotte finished by biting down on her lip and Tessa couldn't believe her ears.

Will and Jem couldn't seem to either. Tessa turned to see Jem slightly open-mouthed and Will... he looked _terrified_.

'What?' Will said as he leaned forward, flinched, then leaned back on the couch. 'A-are you serious?' There was something in his voice. As if he doesn't _want to disappear_. Tessa noticed that the joyous tone in his voice has disappeared leaving behind disbelief and _hurt_. She worried for him. 'Are you throwing away a chance at a second life?' he gasped. The warlock suddenly wondered what worried him so.

Charlotte sighed, but it was Henry who spoke. 'No. All we want is to set the balance of things right,' Henry looked Will in the eye. 'We don't _belong_ in this time and place, Will.'

'_Pulvis et umbra sumus_,' Will whispered as he looked down. His black hair tumbled over his blue eyes and Tessa had the urge to push it away from his eyes. She pushed the urge down.

'That's right. We are dust and shadows. That's how we are meant to be. Besides,' Henry grinned at him, 'we now know that we _will_ defeat Mortmain, right? I'm sure it is our destiny. The only reason why we were brought back to life is because Sabre messed up the balance by finding those journals. But if she didn't, we'll still kill Mortmain!' Henry beamed.

'That confuses me,' Jem whispered behind her, 'we were brought back to life because Sabre Mortmain _killed_ us?'

Henry laughed. 'It is quite confusing. Basically, it is also an accident. Miss Morgenstern, Clary, found that box with my journal in it which caused us to go back to life. Ever since she picked up that book, Mortmain was doomed to failure for, after all, it was Will that killed Mortmain.'

'And that's another thing we need to talk about,' Charlotte spoke. 'Magnus has told us that Clary is alive and well and that the rules of necromancy are now off her shoulders. However, he said some things may still happen. We don't know what they are but Henry and I decided that this is the best way. We do not want to endanger Clary's life. You don't have to decide now, of course,' Charlotte added in an attempt to lift the sudden shock in the air.

Tessa knew that she didn't mind in the least. She understood exactly that. Besides, if it helps Clary, then it is a good thing. But, of course, there were other things she worried about...

'How long would it take for you to fix the device?' Will asked, his voice devoid of any emotion. Tessa felt her heart twist at the sight of him. He was so happy. He was shining. But it was all gone now. It was like a bright star being obliterated leaving behind a cold black hole.

'About a month,' said Henry.

Will nodded sombrely.

* * *

_A month_, he thought. _Four weeks. That's... not enough_. Will sighed as he looked down at his breakfast. It was left untouched and the only thing he had done was think about whether he should agree or not. He was in the kitchen and they- Tessa, Jem, Clary and Jace -were having breakfast because, firstly, they haven't eaten in the past three days except for Tessa who was only there to keep an eye on him and Jem. She and Jem were talking about Church who had appeared and started to rub his head on Jem's hand while Clary and Jace- a little ways away -were laughing. Will wished he could join in their conversations, but he had too much on his mind.

He would agree because Henry was right, they are merely dust and shadows. They didn't exist and they shouldn't exist. It was wrong. Moreover, there was also the matter with Clary and Will didn't want someone to die because of him. He'd long lived that fear. He doesn't want it again. It was not right, to take someone's life for his own happiness.

His happiness. If he didn't agree, then he could live with Tessa. If Ella is right, then perhaps he did have a chance to win her over. Then he could be with her for as long as life permits it. He'd make her happy. _They'd_ _be happy_.

Will bowed his head.

Suddenly, a hand tapped his shoulder- gently -and Will turned to see Magnus. 'Can I talk to you Will?' Magnus asked and Will saw the way his eyes glinted. He seemed to be telling him something.

'Of course,' Will said as he pulled away from the table. He could walk a lot better now.

Will followed Magnus out of the kitchen.

* * *

Tessa looked at Will as he followed Magnus out of the kitchen. He didn't say anything. Just left. Not a word to her or Jem. Just _left_. She felt a slight pang in her chest as she looked at him leave. When he'd heard from Charlotte and Henry about having to disappear, he looked _crushed_. 'I,' Jem said beside her and Tessa turned to him, 'think you should follow him. You could bring him out of his misery and Will _is_ in misery.' Jem smiled at her as he scratched the back of Church's ears. The cat purred.

The warlock looked at Jem with a slight guilt. She hated having to choose, but she knew deep inside her that she loved Will _so much more_. When she was held by Sabre, she remembered why she knew it was Will and that it will always be Will, the broken boy with his beautiful blue eyes that glinted when they spoke about books.

It was because she always saw him. In the back of her mind. When she had opened her eyes in the morning she had to decide, she saw him. Then, when she woke up in Sabre Mortmain's lair, she saw him too. It was those blue eyes. The eyes that spoke so much yet hid so many things.

Tessa smiled back at Jem as Church began climbing up his arm. Finally, the cat made it to his shoulder and settled itself between Jem's shoulder and his neck. Tessa stroked Church lightly and she could feel Jem's gaze on her. She looked at him to see him grinning. 'How about that? A month more to live like this?'

The girl pulled her hand away from Church and looked down at her hands. 'I would happily go,' Tessa glanced at Jace and Clary. They were laughing. 'But I couldn't help but think that Will's right. A second life. Imagine the things that we could do here! Nevertheless,' she sighed, 'it's the right thing.'

Jem nodded. 'Well, let's not worry about what will happen yet shall we?' He reached back and stroked Church. 'The future is too far away. Let's relish in what's happening now.' Suddenly, Jem pulled his hand back in surprise then his smile came back and he let Church start biting and licking his fingers. 'You surprised me Church.' He laughed.

Tessa couldn't help but laugh along with him. Then, she shook her head and pulled away from the table. 'You're right,' she whispered as Jem looked at her. 'I should get the misery out of him. William Herondale is a big danger to his own sanity.' Jem laughed as she took off, the boots she borrowed from Isabelle making a clacking sound as she ran after Will and Magnus.

She listened for their voices, but she could only hear silence. Tessa looked around and sighed in exasperation. 'Perhaps I should-'

Suddenly, she heard a loud sound of _something_ shrieking. It was so faint yet it made her jump in surprise. Tessa started running towards the direction of the sound and found herself running in a narrow corridor. Soon, she reached a set of double doors. It was ajar and Tessa moved closer to it to see what was happening on the other side.

'... don't look as happy as I expected.' It was Magnus. Tessa saw him next to Will who was looking at a heap of ashes surrounded by pillars. His shoulders were slumped and there was something in the way he held them that made him look joyous, yet sad, if that was even possible. The girl could see Magnus give him a disbelieving look, then his cat-eyes flashed into that of understanding. 'I see. This is about disappearing isn't it?'

'A _month_,' Will choked out. 'I-'

'You don't think that's enough?' Magnus stared at him incredulously, then shook his head. 'Will, you don't understand how far better off you are. I've met a couple once who realised they had fallen in love each other right before they _died_! Seconds. But they treasured those seconds and that was enough for them.'

'You don't get it,' Will sighed as his face fell in his hands. 'What if this won't happen in that other life? What if I never find out I actually didn't have a curse- a curse that ruined my life! What if I could never show-'

'Just,' Magnus threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, '_live happily_ for now! Sheesh!' Magnus turned away from Will and started to make his way towards the doors. Tessa stepped backwards, but with a flick of his wrist, Magnus threw the doors open and revealed her. 'Now have a talk with _her_.' Magnus winked at Tessa as he left the room. In the corner of her eye, she saw Will's shoulder straighten in surprise. He _pushed_ Tessa in and grabbed the doors and closed it behind him. The doors banging sent goosebumps along Tessa and she slowly turned to look at Will.

He looked at her with disbelief. His mouth was open and his eyes had that shine once again. He looked at her as if she was all that existed and she couldn't help but look down at her hands. _This is it_ she took a deep breath in and she raised her head-

He had crossed the few metres that separated them and pulled her into his arms. Then, he kissed her. She melted into him as she wound her arms around his neck. Then, he lifted her and swung her around, still kissing her. When he finally did set her down, he pulled away. She gasped for air. She felt as if she was drowning. Drowning in Will and blood and _joy_. Pure _joy_. Joy unlike any other. Tessa could feel it burn her as he leaned his forehead against hers and she could hear herself start laughing. He laughed with her and she looked at his eyes. They glinted with that joy too. His wall has crumbled and a new entire Will had stepped out. A Will that she loved so much more than the previous one. 'Why _me_ Tess?' he whispered and his breath tickled her cheeks. 'Why?'

'Because it _is_ you,' she whispered and she saw him raise an eyebrow as he began swaying them side to side. 'What was all that about?' she asked as she noticed the pile of ashes in the middle of the room.

Will shook his head as he laughed. 'There really is nothing you don't have a question for, do you?' Tessa mock-scowled at him and he grinned at her. 'Let's just say that I found out that I actually didn't have a stupid curse and that I could let people love me without harming them which, of course, includes you and _especially_ you. But,' he said before she could say something, 'let's not talk about that now.' Will sighed as he closed his eyes. The pain was back and Tessa reached up to caress his face. He leaned into her hand. 'A month. How's that?' Tessa's eyebrows creased as she started to understand what seemed to make him lose his shine.

'I think it's wonderful,' she whispered and smiled. 'It's okay, Will.' She attempted to cheer him up.

His eyes remained closed.

Tessa sighed and she held his face with both of her hands. 'Will, look at me. Please,' he opened his eyes and she saw the blue of it once more. She remembered his brief conversation with Magnus that she managed to overhear. She understood Will, but she believed something different. 'If you are ruining this moment for us because you're worried that we won't be together in our first life,' she glared at him, 'then let me tell you one thing. William Herondale, this is destiny. You can't ever change destiny. I love you and I will always love you whether it's in this life or the next or the previous. I can promise you that. If I love you now, then that must mean I'll always love you. And if you find out the truth now, then you will at any other life. It may take longer or it may be revealed earlier. What matters is that it's going to end like this and it's _always_ going to end like this.' Will was now staring at her, with eyes so blue and wide and _loving_. 'Now that's enough of me,' Tessa smiled, 'how about you? _Will you always love me_?'

Will seemed to nearly choke at her words. Then, to answer, he pulled her in for another kiss. Like last time, he swung her around but it lasted longer this time and it was so much sweeter.

He set her down and pulled away to grin a beautiful grin. 'That's a ridiculous question, Miss Gray. _Of course I will_. Why do you think I got this-' he gestured to the bandages that were under his shirt, '-if not I _love you_? And of course I will always love you. What do you think I am?' He scoffed and suddenly wrinkled his nose. He turned to look behind him to see the pile of ashes. 'I nearly forgot,' he turned back to Tessa with a heartbreaking smile. 'I'm sorry if the venue for our declarations of love has to include a pile of ashes. But then,' he placed his fingers under her chin. His eyes sparkled once more and she couldn't help but smile at such _joy_. At such _warmth_. 'Let us say it is a symbol of time and place being burnt down because it could not stand the fires of love.'

'Let us say,' she grinned as he pulled her in for another kiss.

* * *

**A/N: You must hate me. I can tell. **

**I know! A month! I am utterly sorry for doing this to Will and Tessa! I feel like an evil witch! But at the same time, I'm proving something, right? Destiny! **

**'You can't change destiny. That's why it's called destiny.' -Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick. That's what I got from _Election_, if you were still wondering. I actually don't like the movie. I think it's because of the fact that the main characters has completely crossed the line. Moreover, Tracy Flick has no humility (if you are smart yet you don't have humility then what type of person are you? You shouldn't be called smart) and Mr McAllister just kissed his best friend's wife! Come on. I do like that thing about the destiny though. **

**Still, I am sooooo sorry. But this is how I envision things to end. Also, I'm sorry if it's slightly confusing especially with how Mortmain did everything. I got confused while writing it too. I did my best to make it clear. If you're still confused though, don't hesitate tot ask me. **

**Finally, a suggestion. This is if you really want to know what happened during that month. **

**During my planning stage for the fanfic, I had a variety of ideas. Some of my ideas were completely straying off the point of the story. These included Will and Jace playing video games together, Tessa watching the movie adaptation of _Pride and Prejudice_ and the characters doing all these sorts of fun stuff. I'm even planning them doing a movie marathon! I never put them in this fanfic, but now with the month thing-y, I have a reason to put them in. I could publish a different story, but this one are a set of short stories revolving around the ID character's lives in modern day New York with the MI characters. If you would like me to publish these short stories, just leave a review on your thoughts. And yes, Tessiam love. **

**And that's it! Until next time I suppose.**

**P.S. There are two chapters left! :O So fast. **


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the penultimate chapter! I hope you like it, even if it's short.**

**I'm quite sad. It's almost the end. :'(**

**Disclaimer: No. I am not Cassandra Clare.**

* * *

-Chapter Twenty-Six-

You could never fully appreciate something, _fully treasure_ something, until you know that it won't last forever. Until you know that it is finite. That it is all you would receive. Some days, Tessa wished secretly that Henry could never fix the device. That they would remain in their second life for as long as life permits it. However, she knew deep inside her that it was not meant to be. That life is not fair, but that is life.

But she also believed deep inside her that there _are_ some things that are infinite. That are for eternity. That will outlast time. Such things are love and she definitely knew that their love would outlast all ages.

She stood up and smoothed down the skirts of the dress Isabelle had bought her. It was a lovely dress even if it was thin and only reached just past her knees, but she had grown accustomed to the modern world. Of course, there would still be things she would shake her head at, but at least the world was not some unfamiliar planet for her anymore.

Tessa made her way to the door. Her hand gripped the doorknob, but she didn't turn it. Instead, she turned around and took one last look at her room in the New York Institute. The bright light spilled through the window, illuminating the dust that swirled and jumped in the air, looking like tiny celestial bodies in all their simple wonder. She smiled at the warmth of the sunshine and took a deep breath in. It smelled like good days. Her chest slightly hurt but she ignored it. They have made their decision. It was only right that they stick to it.

There was a soft knocking on the door. By sensing the slight sadness in it, she knew that it was none other than Will.

The door swung open. There it was, that slight sadness in his blue eyes. She reached up to touch his face and once her skin met his, the sadness disappeared and was replaced by a beautiful warm glow. He smiled at her.

She smiled back.

* * *

'_Why_?' Isabelle's eyes were sad and were literally on the verge of tears. Isabelle, who never cried. '_Why can't you stay for another month?_' She wailed as Henry set up the device on the wall of the sitting room. No one answered her and Isabelle shut her mouth.

Clary looked at the group that gathered in front of her. Jessamine had an impatient expression, but there were lines that had formed on her face which showed that she did enjoy her time here. She remembered her smile- if not rather smugly -as boys passed them when they went down to Grand Central Park. They were all gaping open-mouthed as she pranced past them with Isabelle. The two seemed to have made friends out of each other, simply because they both liked what they wore and they loved the attention.

Beside Jessamine was Sophie who was having a conversation with Charlotte. Clary grew to like Sophie. She was kind and loyal. A good friend. She saw the girl smile and blush as Charlotte praised her for something- Clary didn't know what it was, but it was good for Sophie.

Meanwhile, Charlotte was next to her husband who have now successfully set the device on the wall. It had blinking red lights and buttons that Clary couldn't understand and didn't wish to understand. Charlotte finished her conversation with Sophie and turned to Henry and Magnus. Everyone watched in silence as Magnus pressed his hand on the wall next to the device. They waited.

Suddenly, the Portal appeared. However, it did not look like any other portal Clary has ever seen. This one was white. She cocked her head at it. It was silent and somehow, more menacing. 'Alright everyone,' Henry turned around to face them as Magnus stepped back and stood next to Alec. There was also a sad expression on his face. She remembered showing him the American Museum of National History. Never, has she seen a man so interested in what lay behind glass cases. 'I'll be going in and I'll burn those journals. I'll come back and well, we'll disappear,' his voice dropped at the word. 'It'll probably take between a few seconds to a few minutes, then, well you know.' He attempted to cheer them up with one of his smiles. Clary couldn't help another resurfacing of a memory. When Jace and Will played _Tekken_, he appeared just to inspect the Playstation and the controllers. Then, Jace and Will told him to leave for they were trying to kill each other and they don't need distractions. Henry still stayed, his smile was radiant and curious.

She smiled at Henry as he took Charlotte's hand, squeezed it and stepped through the Portal. Charlotte looked after him in faint worry and once Henry completely disappeared, the room fell in a dreadful silence once more.

Clary decided to break it. 'Well,' she said as she looked at Tessa. Clary had grown to love her, almost as a sister. They had talked about books and she would often ask Clary about being an artist. She'd miss her. 'It's been nice. Thank you.' Clary added in as she knew that part of their decision to leave was still because of her. She would've begged them to stay. She would've lied and told them she was fine, but Jace would _never_ agree with that and neither would her mother.

Tessa smiled at her as she stepped forward, her hand never leaving Will's and Clary didn't think he'd let go of her either. 'No,' Tessa shook her head as her smile turned to a grin, 'it's us who should thank you.' She looked at everyone. 'You've all been very kind.'

'It's our pleasure,' Isabelle said as she tried to stop her tears from falling. 'Oh! It's just that I wish- oh.' She frowned and Magnus laughed.

'Izzy, darling,' he put his arm across her shoulders and smiled at her. 'There, there.'

'But we are thankful,' Charlotte said from behind them. She looked at Maryse and Robert across her. 'Very.' The Lightwoods gave her a nod.

'But we'll miss Jem's cooking the most!' Isabelle shouted out loud. Behind Tessa and Will, Jem grinned. 'Homemade Asian.'

'We didn't even know he had the bloody talent!' Will finally spoke as he looked at his _parabatai_ who was on Tessa's other side. Clary watched him closely. She can't stop thinking of how alike he and Jace were, but, after all, they were Herondales. Even if Jace isn't Will's however-so-many-grandsons, they knew that they were Herondales and that was all that mattered to them. 'If I knew this earlier, I'd have you as my personal cook!'

'I'm sorry Will,' Jem shrugged lightly then leaned on his cane, 'even I didn't know this. I just picked up that book and started following it.' It was true. Clary was there to see it happen. He just... _did it_. Jem had also been a good friend and once, he started playing with the piano in the Institute. After _two_ hours, he was playing 'Let it Be' by the Beatles. She didn't even know where he got the music sheet from! 'Besides, I wouldn't want to be your cook. I'd leave five seconds into the job.' Everyone laughed at that. Will tried not to but, eventually, he gave up and smiled.

Then, Jace stepped forward. 'Well,' he looked at Will who was grinning at him. 'I suppose I'll have to find a different person to fight with now. Thank you. That's _very _convenient.' Will laughed.

'I'll miss our battles to Jace,' the boy grinned, the smile reaching his eyes. 'They have been spectacular. You make the Herondale name proud,' he added in and Clary saw Jace shake his head next to her. 'But of course, I'll always be better than you.'

At that, he stopped shaking his head. 'Oh, trust me,' Jace grinned in a predatory way, 'I know a lot more than you think.' Then, they started arguing.

'Stop it, both of you!' Clary and Tessa said in unison and the girls looked at each other in surprise. Then, they laughed. Clary saw Jem duck his head as he grinned.

Suddenly, Henry appeared once more and everyone stopped to look at him. 'It's done,' he stood next to Charlotte as Will and Tessa stepped back in line with the others. Clary looked at them, memorised their faces, but she knew it was pointless. She'll forget them because they would cease to exist in her time and place. When they cease to exist, then she _will_ forget everything. It was a sad thought, but what could she do?

'Goodbye!' Magnus waved at them and took out a rainbow coloured, glitter splashed handkerchief. He gave them to Isabelle who started to cry. Magnus grinned at them and Clary couldn't help but giving her own farewell. 'Be good! Jessamine! Stop being irritating,' Jessamine gasped as Clary noticed they started to _glow_. Magnus snickered. 'Sophie, thank you for teaching me how to make the perfect tea!-' Sophie smiled and gave him a nod, '-Henry look after yourself and your wife. Charlotte, look after everyone but Henry the most.-' Henry laughed and the glowing intensified. '-Jem, keep hoping and keep playing,-' Jem dropped Magnus a grateful nod and a grin, '-Will, be _good_,-' the boy flashed a devilish grin as his hand tightened around Tessa's, '-and Tessa! Just remember that you are who you are. Nothing anyone else says must lead you to believe something else. You are Tessa Gray!-' Magnus half-shouted as the glow started to cover them. Clary had to resist the urge to cover her eyes. She wanted to see them go. She squinted and she could see Tessa grin. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. '-And you will always be Tessa Gray!'

Green, luminous fireflies appeared all around them and Clary stared at them in wonder. Beside her, she saw Jace open his mouth in surprise. She heard Isabelle and Alec gasp simultaneously. Magnus kept waving, ignoring the fireflies. The Lightwoods looked at the fireflies in wonder. Then, the fireflies settled on the group right before her. They didn't seem to notice the green bugs, even Jessamine who didn't particularly like insects. Finally, it covered them from head to toe.

There was a sudden flash.

The fireflies dispersed and Church tried to grab them.

They disappeared.


	28. Epilogue

**A/N: Well, here's the Epilogue and the very last chapter to this crossover. It has been a long, great and tiring journey filled with writer's blocks, sudden bursts of ingenuity and supportive reviews. I thank you guys so much for everything. I thank you for either reviewing, putting this as a favourite, putting this on story alert or even read it! This is quite a long fanfic and I especially thank you if you stuck with me all the way to the final word. I am very, very grateful. It was your support that gave me the energy to finish this. **

**Now, enough with my babbling. You will notice that the chapter below links to Chapter Two. I can only say that you keep on reading because of the surprise at the end.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Cassandra Clare and I definitely do not own the Infernal Devices or the Mortal Instruments.**

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-Epilogue-

_New York Institute, 2007_

Clary took another tentative step as she tried with all her might to take the heavy box up the stairs. She felt her foot slip through empty space and caught herself before she stumbled and let the contents of the heavy box spill and possibly hurt herself. 'Are you alright?' She looked up and saw Isabelle in front of her and felt a sharp pang of jealousy. While she struggled with the box, Isabelle didn't even break a sweat.

'I'm fine,' she replied as she grasped the box tighter and told herself to take another step. And another. And another. For some reason, Clary felt that the stairs were getting longer the more she tried. As if they mentally and physically pushed her to her limits.

Or maybe they were just the effects of her Shadowhunter training. To be constantly pushed to her limits.

At last, she made it to the landing and happily dropped the heavy box to the floor as Isabelle reached the trapdoor to the attic separate to the one they used as a training room and opened it. A ladder came sliding down and the girl narrowly dodged it. 'Whoa! Who knew ladders could be so lethal?' She said to no one in particular as she gaped at the ladder with wide blue eyes.

'Great,' Clary said as she threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. 'First a box that almost killed me and now a ladder that is lethal. What next?'

'You're complaining,' Isabelle smiled at her and took the box off the floor. She then started to climb the ladder with ease, despite the box. She finally made it to the attic and Clary groaned. Isabelle's head popped out of the attic 'You need to get some muscles in those skinny arms of yours Shadowhunter,' Clary glared at her as she disappeared back into the attic.

With a deep breath, she picked up the box off the floor and started climbing the ladder. She was halfway there when she almost fell and Isabelle told her to give her the box. Clary happily gave her the box and climbed the rest of the way up. When she got there, Isabelle closed the trapdoor and she glared at the boxes.

'Why do they need to be kept here anyway? Is the attic at the London Institute packed or what?'

'I don't know,' Isabelle shrugged then straightened and placed her hands on her hips. 'But I'm sure ours is almost full,' Clary stood up and agreed with her. She saw that the attic had boxes of all sizes scattered everywhere in no particular order as it was being illuminated by the dimming afternoon light. Isabelle placed the box on top of another and smiled 'Mission completed,' she seemed to be proud of doing such a small task that she didn't have any problems with.

Isabelle's mother, Maryse Lightwood, had asked Clary and Isabelle to put away the boxes from the London Institute in the attic and they also did it to pass the time while waiting for Jace and Alec to come back with their takeout from Taki's. Clary picked up the box again and placed it on top of another box and looked at the attic. 'I know Shadowhunters haven't heard of a lot of things, but this is ridiculous,' Clary gestured to the mess in the attic and the layers of dust over the boxes. 'Have you guys never heard of spring clean?'

'Or maybe we were fighting demons for the most of our time so we didn't have spare time for cleaning up,' Isabelle defended and Clary looked back at the attic. At the very end of the room, she saw a pile of boxes that were also covered in some cobwebs and had at least a century of dust piling on it. She walked towards it in curiosity, dodging boxes along the way so she won't trip over them, and Isabelle followed after her.

They reached the end of the attic and Clary looked down at the mess. 'That's disgusting,' Isabelle remarked as she bent down and brushed the centimetre thick layer of dust. 'Ew,' she shook the dust off her pale hands and Clary bit back her laughter as she watched the dust drift to the dusty floor. 'Come on,' Isabelle said as she whirled around and made her way to the trapdoor. 'They'll be back soon.' It was true. The sun was preparing itself for nighttime and the light cast long dark shadows in the attic. They mixed with the dust on the floor.

Clary followed her.

_Pulvis __et __umbra __sumus_.

We are dust and shadows.


End file.
